Harry Potter and How Things Changed In A Day
by UridiaVoalfa
Summary: Harry Potter didn't expect much to happen when his family left to take his cousin out for his birthday. A list of chores, definitely. A small wrinkly creature, saying it would take him somewhere? Never expected THAT. Sorry for poor summary. Dumbles Bashing, Nice Goblins, Smart OOC Harry, Nice Snape, Pairings Undecided. Note: No Longer in Hiatus. Please R&R!
1. UOA (Unconscious On Arrival)

**_Disclaimer: Anything you see that you recognize, I do not own. Some of the characters in this little Fic of mine are Original Characters. Some shops are also of my own creation._**

"Talking"

_'Thinking or Flashback/Memory'_

**_Mind Link_**

**~Parseltongue~**

_Letters or Books_

**_~POV Change~_**

**-*-Timeskip-*-**

**(^-^)(^_^)(^-^)**

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**Harry Potter and How Things Changed In A Day**

**Chapter 1:**

**U.O.A. (Unconscious On Arrival)**

* * *

It was early in the morning. The sky was just starting to lighten up, revealing house after house going down Privet Drive. Each house looked near identical; two story houses with brown roofs, pale colored sides and windows. Each house looked exactly alike, although one house in particular was_…_ Unique, you could say. On the outside, it was exactly like any other house on the street. Pale colored walls, a few windows, and a well-kept garden. If you were to enter this house, it would look like a normal home as well. Pictures hovered over the fireplace, each one featuring an obese child, a thin faced woman, and _very_ obese man who had a large red and purple face as well as a small mustache. Both males resembled whales, while the woman resembled a horse.

The house was filled with patterned furniture and large pictures. There was a living room, dining room, kitchen, two bathrooms, master bedroom, as well as three other bedrooms. There were stairs in the house that led to all of the bedrooms. Under those stairs was a cupboard, which was the whole reason this house was a unique one. Well, it was actually what was _in _the cupboard. If you were to open the cupboard, you would see a small child sleeping on a cot in the cupboard under the stairs. A _child_. In a _cupboard_. _Seriously?_

Anyway, onto the story.

It was barely past 6 o'clock now. The small child woke up, revealing bright green eyes that seemed to shine in the dark space. He sat up, hitting his head on a low hanging beam in the cupboard.

"Ow." He said quietly, not wanting to risk waking his 'family'. He quietly got out of the cupboard, climbing the stairs and entering the bathroom. After cleaning himself with a wet washcloth - he didn't dare shower for fear of being caught- and brushing his teeth with some toothpaste and his finger, he went back downstairs and starting prepping breakfast. He would need to cook for a little while if he was to fill the order today. You see, it was his cousin Dudley's birthday, and on his birthday, Harry had to cook more than usual if he wanted to eat.

Ah that's right, I haven't told you. This boy's name is Harry Potter, and as mentioned earlier, he is the entire reason this house is unique. Why, you may ask? Well, Harry Potter is filled with something that even he is unaware of. What that is? Well, he will find out. Soon.

**-*-One Hour Later: 7:02-*-**

Harry was almost done cooking the sausages and eggs as his aunt came downstairs. He had set the table earlier, while the bacon had been finishing up. His aunt gave him an ugly grimace as he pulled the sausages off the heat.

"Those better not be burnt. I want this day perfect." After looking around the room, she asked, "Did you make coffee?"

"Yes Aunt Petunia." Harry started putting the sausages and bacon onto plates while the eggs finished cooking. Aunt Petunia poured herself a cup while watching Harry out of the corner of her eye. As Harry pulled the last of the sausages off the stove, a slow thumping noise was heard from the stairs. As Aunt Petunia sat down at the dining room table, Harry's Uncle Vernon came into the room and sat in a chair that looked as if it was trying desperately not to collapse from the colossal weight.

The first thing he said was, "Where's my coffee, Boy?!" The man despised his nephew for reasons unknown to him. Harry quickly put the eggs in a bowl, after which he retrieved a coffee cup.

"Right here, Uncle Vernon." He poured some coffee and set it in front of his uncle. Harry put the plate of bacon and sausages on the table, the bowl of eggs being set on the table as well a minute later.

Seconds later, a loud, quick, thundering noise made its way into the kitchen Dudley Dursley stomped his way into the kitchen, with Aunt Petunia clapping happily. Uncle Vernon was grinning merrily into his coffee, although it was barely visible past his large, bushy mustache. "There's my Birthday Boy." She covered his eyes and led him over to a towering pile of gifts. "My Ickle Diddykins big day!" She removes her hands when Dudley is standing in front of all his gifts (the biggest box was almost as tall as the chimney).

She is practically vibrating with excitement as Dudley harshly asks, "How many are there?!" Still smiling, she replies that there were thirty-six. Dudley screams, "Thirty-six! But last year, last year I got thirty-seven!"

"Don't worry Dudders, while we're out today, we'll get you three more, alright Duddy?"

"Then I'll have… thirty… thirty-eight?"

"Thirty-nine, Dudley." Harry mumbled, quickly fishing the mushrooms from the fryer and putting them in a bowl, setting them on the table before anything could happen to cause them to fall to the floor.

"Oh. Okay then." Dudley sat down at the table, loading his plate with bacon, sausage, fried mushrooms, kippers, hash-browns and eggs. He didn't bother with the toast or oatmeal, as he thought they didn't taste good enough. The kitchen was quiet for a moment, past Dudley's obnoxious noises of him stuffing his mouth, Uncle Vernon grumbling about _'ruddy neighbors and their dogs,' _as well as Aunt Petunia talking about the town gossip. Harry sat down at the table, getting a few pieces of bacon and a piece of toast, his Uncle watching his every move, making sure he didn't take too much.

Harry began quietly munching on his bacon as Dudley spoke up, "Where are we going today for my birthday, Mummy?" Harry hated when Dudley sucked up to Aunt Petunia; the only reason he sucked up was to get something good- oh wait, that was all the time.

She happily began chirping out what the family was doing today, "We're going to buy your presents, and go visit the Zoo. We're also going to your favourite pizza place for lunch. Piers is coming over after you open your presents."

She sipped on her coffee as Dudley asked, "Is _he _coming?" At once, her face turned into an angry frown before morphing into a sweet little smile.

"Of course not Dudders, _he _will be staying here. And he _will not _destroy my home while we are gone._" _She pointedly said the last bit at Harry, making sure he nodded before she looked away. "Now, to your cupboard boy. I'll let you out before we leave, and you will do all your chores before we return!"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia." Harry took his plate to the sink, washing it quickly before heading to his cupboard, closing the door behind him.

_~Harry's POV~_

I could hear the sound of paper being ripped, which could only mean one thing: Dudley was opening his presents. _'Great. I never get presents.' _The only so called 'present' I'd ever gotten was an old, moldy yellow sock from Uncle Vernon on my fifth birthday. Ugh, I wish this wasn't a cupboard. There's a cot, and then some of Dudley's broken toys. _Broken_ toys. He's even got an extra bedroom _for _his toys, broken or not, but I'm stuck in a cupboard. Don't get me wrong, it's not too bad. It's small, a little too small…. But, uh, it's pretty dark so it's easy to fall asleep at night. It used to scare me, but I've gotten used to it by now, I guess.

As I waited for everyone to leave, a spider the size of the end of my thumb moved from the ceiling, using it's webbing to go to my leg. I was used to spiders at this point, having lived with them my whole life, but this spider in particular was a 'friend' of mine. She (I assume it's a she, but it could be male for all I know) crawled up my leg and into my hand, where I lifted her up and brought my other hand up to run a finger over it. It skittered around my hand, dragging webbing behind it. I giggled as it wrapped webbing around my hand in a comforting way. I liked spiders. They were nice to me, unlike my family.

As I'm lost in my musings, Piers arrives. I stop giggling when I hear footsteps walk near the stairs, and I put my hand near the ground. The spider quickly crawls off my hand, going to hide somewhere. I wipe my hand off seconds before Aunt Petunia opens the door of my cupboard, snarling at me. She sneers, "We're leaving. I expect all the chores to be done before we get back. We'll be out till after supper, so eat before we get back, or you know what Vernon will do to you." She closed the door harshly, walking out the front door to catch up with the family.

After the roar of the car becomes non-existent, I glance down at where I assume the spider went. I smile lightly before I climb out of the cupboard. I walk to the kitchen, picking up the list of things that need to be done. In my Aunt's tiny scrawl is:

_Chores:_

_Sweep and Mop Floors_

_Clean every bedroom_

_Wash Dishes_

_Clean and Mop bathroom_

_Vacuum Living Area_

_Weed Garden_

_Sweep Porch_

_Repaint Garage Door Orange_

_Organize Dudley's Second Bedroom_

_Re-Shingle the roof_

_Bleach the bathtub_

_Polish the Portraits_

_Wash Dudley's clothes_

Beneath all of that there's a single sentence, _"I expect all this done before we get back!"_ I groan, setting down the list. How am I supposed to get this done in less than 8 hours?

Suddenly, there was a small, "_pop!"_ and I turn around, not expecting what I see. Standing behind me is a two foot tall, brown colored, wrinkly creature, with large, bug-like eyes. It also had a small nose, long hands and feet, and flappy ears (each seemed to be as big as his head). It seemed to be wearing a pillowcase.

"Uh…"

"I is here to get you, Mister Harry." The creature said in a high pitched voice.

_What?_ I was swallowed in blackness, falling to the ground. The last thing I saw was the creature, alarmed, rushing forward.

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**Chapter 1, U.O.A., is finished!**

**Final editing done by _Carrie's Demise._**

**Read, review, and enjoy!**


	2. Arriving At Gringotts

**Hey guys!**

**So, you know the pole I have up? Well, if you don't, go vote _NOW_!**

**Special thanks to dianaanna, KyuubiChild717, and daithi4377 (you made me laugh daithi!) for reviewing! Reviews make me happy, as I said. So, to those of you who haven't, please make sure to RR!**

**Oh! I almost forgot! I cut this chapter off after it reached over 2000 words. Don't get me wrong, I love long chapters as much as the next girl, but I want to steadily make them longer, not make them 6000 words long suddenly!**

**Anyway, thank you guys so much for waiting, so I'm not gonna make you wait any longer! Here ya go!**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1!**

"Talking"

_'Thinking or Flashback/Memory'_

_**Mind Link**_

**~Parseltongue~**

_Letters or Books_

_**~POV Change~**_

**-*-Timeskip-*-**

**(^-^)(^_^)(^-^)**

* * *

**Harry Potter and How Things Changed In A Day**

**Chapter 2:**

**Arriving At Gringotts**

* * *

Harry woke up with a groan, holding his head from the dull ache. The light shining through his closed eyes made him not want to open them. The soft cushion beneath him was lulling him back to unconsciousness.

A harsh voice cut into his ears, awaking him fully, "I see you're waking up Mister Potter. Come on, wake up. You need to take this. It'll help with your head ache. Hurry up, Mister Potter, we've not got all day. You've much to do."

Harry opened his eyes, wincing at the light. He blinked a few times while his eyes adjusted to the light, sitting up slightly. He looked around the room (which had white beds lined up against the walls) a little, before his eyes fell on the most intimidating creature he had seen in his short life. A creature, about four foot tall, stood in front of him, dressed in draping robes. His fingers, long and thin, were holding out a flask filled with some liquid (if the sloshing sound inside was any indication). On his face were two beady eyes, a long nose, and very little hair adorned his head (what was there was thin and wispy like).

Harry, so focused in studying the creature in front of him, jumped when it spoke again, "Yes I know, I'm hideous," he rolled his eyes, "now, drink this, and we can go see Lord Ragnok." He set the flask in Harry's open hand, and walked to a bedside table, gathering a few folders. When he turned, he rolled his eyes at seeing the boy hadn't moved. He sighed, "Ask away Mister Potter, but make it quick. Any long answer questions will be answered by my superior."

"Where am I," Harry quickly asked. The creature began to give short answers.

"Gringotts."

"What's going on?"

"You were brought here by a Gringotts elf. You're about to meet my superior."

"An elf? What do you-?"

"Short answer questions please." The creature looked at him blankly, and Harry bit his lip. Seeing his hesitation, the male continued, "My superior will answer questions that take up much time. He will answer all of the ones you may, or may not, have."

Hesitantly, Harry nodded, "Pardon me for asking, as this might sound rude… but, what are you?"

"I, Mister Potter, am a goblin. You may refer to me as Healer Bludfang." He said in a gravelly voice, before picking up his papers and heading to a door. He turned. "Well, come on, we haven't got all day. Drink from the flask. It'll get rid of your headache." It was then that he noticed the pounding against his temples. He uncorked the end with a slight _'pop'_, swirling the contents. He looked back to Bloodfang, "Go on then." Harry hesitated before placing the opening to his lips and tipping his head back, the thin liquid sliding over his tongue and down his throat. Harry grimaced at the taste before gasping in shock as the pounding receded, slowly disappearing. He blinked multiple times, looking to Bludfang, who by this point was looking very impatient. "Well, come on. We've not got all day."

Harry quickly rushed to stand, making sure he had his balance before walking quickly over to Bludfang. Once Bludfang was sure the boy was steady on his feet he turned, pushing open the heavy door. It swung open to an ornate hallway, the walls silver and detailed with gold. The tiled floors glistened and glimmered as Harry was escorted through the bank, and he couldn't help but look around and gape in awe. Bludfang seemed oblivious to his gawking, but was internally smug, for his ancestors had decorated and carved these halls. Harry quickly ran to catch up with the goblin, as he had fallen behind in his wonder.

After a few minutes of walking, they stopped in front of an ornate door, where Bludfang proceeded to knock once. After hearing a command of, "Enter," he pushed open the door, leading Harry inside.

Harry looked around, ornate pictures handing on the walls. Every surface seemed to shine with a luster that made Harry want to blink before his eyes adjusted. When he finally focused on the center of the room, he saw a mahogany desk. Like everything else in the room, it was outlined in gold. On it sat stack of paper, a glass display case, as well as a few bits and baubles. Behind the desk, swathed in silks, was another creature (a goblin, wasn't it?). He had no hair on his head, and pointy ears that pushed themselves far back past his scalp. He had beady eyes that were hidden behind thin, spindly glasses. He sat with his hands clasped in front of him, resting them lightly on the desk. "Welcome, Mister Potter. Sit." He gestured to the tall chair that sat in front of him, and Harry swallowed nervously before walking up and sitting down. He wiggled a slight bit, realizing the chair was much more comfortable than it looked. The goblin sneered at him, intimidating the boy, "You probably have many questions. Before I can answer any of them however, you must be identified." Harry's confusion must have shown on his face, as the goblin continued, opening the display case, "In order for us to discuss things, those things being confidential, you must be identified as Harry Potter."

Harry swallowed nervously again, "A-and how are you going to, erm, 'identify' me?"

The goblin gave a creepy smile, showing off his many pointed teeth, "Why, a blood test, of course. You will simply prick your finger," at this point, he took a silver dagger out of the case, the metal shining in the light of the room. Harry paled at the sight of the sharp object, "and, if you are who you are, we can start our discussion."

The young boy had a feeling he didn't want to ask the following question, but he had to. "And if n-not?"

The goblin smiled wider, saying, "You won't leave this room alive." He looked as if he would like nothing better.

The room was silent for a moment before Harry asked one final question, "If I do this, will you answer all my questions?"

The goblin nodded, "If you are who you are, then we will not leave this room until every last question is answered." Harry sat for a moment, contemplating his options. On one hand, he could find out what was going on, why he was here, what they wanted from him. On the other, he could go home, and try to forget this. Pretend it never happened. But then… there would be the question about what would have happened if he had gone along with it.

Harry looked up, nodding his consent. The goblin gestured for the boy to come forward, who, after licking his dry lips, stood up, walking toward the desk. He shakily held out a hand, and was handed the ornate dagger, the emerald in the end of the dagger glinting maliciously. After studying the dagger, he looked up, noticing that the goblin was holding out a piece of parchment. Noticing they boy's confused state, the goblin simply said, "Drop your blood on the parchment. One drop will do." Harry took a deep breath before pressing the end gently against his finger, wincing slightly at the sudden, sharp pain. He held up his hand, the pearl of blood clinging to his finger before it slowly fell, falling onto the rough surface. It spread outward for a moment before disappearing into the paper.

The goblin pulled it back, studying the parchment as blood red lettering appeared. It read:

_Harold James Potter_

_Parents: James Damien Potter (Father), Lilian Rose Potter nee Evans (Mother)_

_Godfather: Sirius Orion Black_

_Godfather: Remus John Lupin_

_Born: July 31st, 1990_

_Death: -_

_Age: 10_

_Blood Type: O Positive_

_Eye Color: Green_

_Hair Color: Black_

_Height: 3 foot 9 inches_

_Weight: 56.2 pounds_

_Heir to Potter, Perverell, Gryffindor, Zynostru and Myrddin lines._

As the goblin read, Harry's eyes had gotten wider. He's never known his parent's names. The goblin held out his hand after he finished reading, and Harry held out the dagger in return.

This time, the smile given was not at all menacing. He took the dagger, before holding out his hand again. "I need to heal you child. Your hand."

"Oh. O-okay," Harry had completely forgotten about his still bleeding finger, which was slowly forming a line down his hand as it desperately tried to reach his wrist. He held his hand out, and the goblin grasped it, waving a hand over his wounded finger. Harry watched as the pain suddenly diminished, and when he was able to see his hand again, there were no traces of blood visible. He took his hand back, shocked to see no scar.

"Reclaim your seat, child." He looked up before scurrying back into his seat, getting comfortable. The goblin looked at him carefully, taking in his small size, "My name is Lord Ragnok. I am Head Goblin of Gringotts. Now, I understand you have many questions. I will answer them all, but one at a time."

Harry gently rubbed his finger absentmindedly, "W-where are we? I. What I mean is-"

"Are you still in Surrey? The answer is no. At the moment, you are in Gringotts Wizarding Bank, in London." The goblin surmised that this was the question he wanted to ask.

"W-Wizarding bank?" Harry looked perplexed, tilting his head. "What are you talking about?"

The goblin sighed, softly mumbling the words, "I thought as much," before clearing his throat, clasping his hands in front of him, "Mister Potter, have you heard of magic?"

"Yes sir. But uncle says there's no such thing. He doesn't seem to like the thought of it much. I once told him I had a dream about a flying motorcycle, and he became very angry." He shuddered as he remembered the punishment from that. He had been locked in his cupboard for a week that time, and when he was let out, he had been given a piece of slowly hardening bread and told to do his chores. His stomach growled lightly as he thought of food. How long had it been since he had left home?

The goblin nodded and spoke, dragging Harry from his thoughts, "I supposed as much." He was silent for a moment before nodding. "One moment Mister Potter, I shall return shortly." He stood, walking around the desk and to the door, where upon he opened it and stepped out of the room. Now twenty seconds later, he returned, two goblins following him, both carrying objects. "Mister Potter, this is Runecore and Ysgidryl {Yis-guh-drill}. Runecore is going to scan you for but a moment, and Ysgidryl is going to acquire some of your blood, if you don't mind."

Harry sat in silence before asking, "What's the scan and the blood for?"

"The scan will tell us every injury you have ever had, as well as any current ones, while the blood is for later. I figured we'd get that done now, and get the pain bit out of the way." Ragnok said, gesturing for him to stand. Harry slowly did so, not quiet understanding why all this was happening now, but figuring he should listen to the intimidating creature the size of him.

He walked forward, smiling nervously at the new goblins, "Hello."

"Hello Mister Potter. While Ysgidryl is setting everything up, I will scan you. It shall take but a moment, but you may feel a slight tickle. Hold still please," he said in a nasally voice, pulling out a piece of parchment and hovering his fingers over it. He then held out his hand to Harry, mumbling a few words under his breath. Seconds later, words began quickly appearing on the parchment, as if they were invisible but moments before. Harry shivered as he felt something flow through his body, touching every sense with an indescribable tingle. The parchment began to seemingly elongate as time went on, the room silent as each and every injury he had ever sustained was written out, par the sound of Ysgidryl setting up a few bowls on a table. Harry was about ready to scream by the time it finished, as it had grown to be over two foot long. Each injury was listed on after another, and Runecore grimaced as he read over it. For a ten year old, or _anyone_, this amount of injuries was ridiculous!

"Lord Ragnok, sir," he held out the parchment, breathing deeply. It may not seem like it, but goblins were creatures that cared deeply for their young. Obviously, Harry wasn't a goblin, but to a goblin, a child was a child no matter the blood. Having the knowledge that this child had been hurt this much infuriated the goblin.

He nodded, understanding, "Now, Ysgidryl will be collecting some blood in these bowls here. It is for our next meeting, and I shall explain then. Ysgidryl, please collect the blood while I read over this." He walked behind his desk, sitting down with a sigh as he began to read.

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**Uri~**


	3. I Can't Be A Wizard

**This chapter is quiet short, as it's a bit of a filler to get us to the important bit. I know it seems like Harry's accepting things a little too easily, but I've got a plan for that, so don't worry.**

**Make sure to go to my profile and vote! Hurry, hurry, hurry!**

**Hope you guys enjoy (again, sorry for the shortness)!**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1!**

"Talking"

_'Thinking or Flashback/Memory'_

_**Mind Link**_

**~Parseltongue~**

_Letters or Books_

_**~POV Change~**_

**-*-Timeskip-*-**

**(^-^)(^_^)(^-^)**

* * *

**Harry Potter and How Things Changed In A Day**

**Chapter 3:**

**I Can't Be A Wizard**

* * *

Ysgidryl turned to Harry, holding a smaller dagger than the one Ragnok had on his desk, and a bowl. "I'm going to create a cut along your palm, you understand." Harry bit his lip, nodding. He'd ask later, once everything had slowed, what was going on. How had the parchment elongated? How had his blood disappeared? He had so many questions running through his mind, he could barely pick one.

The goblin took his hand, dragging the sharp part of the blade across the middle of his palm, opening his skin. Harry hissed in pain, watching as pearls of blood slipped off his hand and into the bowl below. After a few drops fell into that bowl, the goblin moved Harry's hand to another bowl, waiting for a few drops to touch the surface. Once this had been done once more, the goblin put his hand over Harry's cut palm, and once again, when the hand was removed, there was no line or blood. At this point, Harry wasn't as shocked by the sudden change. This time, he just blinked, pushing down his internal want to scream in frustration and confusion.

He looked over as Lord Ragnok called him, seeing the goblin sitting at his desk still, the parchment lying next to his clasped hands. "Come sit. I'm sure you have many questions, but we need to continue our conversation from earlier before I can answer any more." Harry silently walked back over, knowing that if he opened his mouth, he wouldn't be able to keep in the scream that wished to escape. After looking at him for a moment, Ragnok called to out Runecore. He hurried over, and Ragnok spoke with him quietly for a moment before he scurried off, returning moments later with a small flask similar to the one Harry had earlier.

He walked over to Harry, holding it out, "Drink this child." He took the flask obediently, shakily bringing it to his lips. He didn't bother asking, figuring it was something to help him like the one earlier was. The liquid tasted of mint, giving Harry's a pallet before he suddenly slumped in the chair, the plush cushions puffing slightly around his form. While Harry took the potion, Runecore and Ysgidryl left the room, leaving the bowls and the medical parchment Ragnok had.

Blinking a few times, Harry softly asked, "W-what was that?" Warmth began to spread through his body again, starting from his toes, and he shivered at the pleasant sensation, the warmth finally settling in his belly after a moment.

"A Calming Draught. This must be very traumatizing, and you seemed incapable of speaking. I know that in order for your questions to be answered, it would be better for you to be calm. Hence, the Calming Draught." He raised an eyebrow, "You feel better, yes?" Harry nodded, feeling like he could melt into the chair from how relaxed he felt. Instead of doing that though, he leaned against the high back, sighing contentedly. "Shall we continue our conversation from earlier?" A nod was his reply, "Good. Now, earlier I asked if you had ever heard of magic. Well, the reason I asked is because I have to tell you something critical. You, Mister Potter, are a wizard. Everything you've seen today has been done by magic. The elf, the healing, the paper becoming longer. You're a wizard."

Harry blinked a few times before laughing softly, the laugh growing slowly louder before becoming hysterical, tears falling from his eyes as he clutched his stomach, curling up in the chair. The goblin raised an eyebrow, having expected him to deny what he had just said. "T-tha- haha," Harry couldn't get the words past his lips very easily. "T-that's b-b-beauti-tiful." His laughter slowly turned into giggles, "I-I can't be a wizard." Giggles filled his voice, and Ragnok began to wonder just how strong that calming draught had been. It was quite amusing to watch, he had to admit, "I-it's just not po-possible."

He raised an eyebrow, "Are you finished, child?"

"One moment," he giggled a few more times, before sighing and sitting up again, a giggle or two escaping his mouth every once in a while. "O-okay. I think I'm okay now."

"Good." He cleared his throat, "You say it impossible, but think about what you saw today. Think about how angry your… your Uncle? Yes, think about how angry your Uncle got at the mere mention of magic." As Harry's expression began to change from a look of amusement to one of skepticism, Ragnok continued, "Think about anything strange that has happened to you. Perhaps, something that happened when you were happy, or angry."

By this point, Harry was looking much less skeptical, "But ma-magic can't be real. I mean, if it is, why did I turn my cousin into a toad or something when he tried to hurt me?"

The goblin just shook his head, "Magic doesn't work like that. Only trained wizards are capable of bodily transfiguration on that level. Goblins can do things similar, but with our magic. You see, goblin magic and wizard magic are two very different things. Both are capable of doing things you could never imagine, but our magic doesn't need a focus, or a wand if you'd prefer."

"A wand?" The tyke seemed, if anything, more confused.

"Yes, wizards use wands, and by the time you've learned all you need here, you will most likely be getting one for yourself." Ragnok nodded before changing the subject to another topic, "Before we get to the reason why you are here, do you have any questions you wish to have answered?"

Harry thought for a moment before asking, "What time is it?"

Ragnok raised an eyebrow, "Almost 2 o'clock."

Harry gasped. "Sir, I have to get home soon. I've got chores to do, floor to scrub. If I don't get those chores done-"

"Calm yourself child. There's a spell currently placed on this office that slows time in here. An hour in here will be but fifteen minutes outside. The Gringotts House Elf we sent to get you is currently doing your chores to make sure everything is done before you return, if you do." Ragnok calmly stated, putting the boy's worries at ease. Harry's eyes widened for a moment before he nodded. If this was all true, and not just a dream, then magic was very quiet fascinating. "Anything else before we get started?"

Harry breathed deeply before nodding, "Actually yes." He looked Ragnok dead in the eye, having one thought before he spoke. That thought? _'If this is a dream, I'm making the most of it.' _He spoke, "Is there any way I can get something to eat? I ate about six hours ago, and could really use something to eat and drink." His mouth was quiet dry, and his stomach was rumbling softly.

Ragnok chuckled before calling out, "Jipsy!" a soft _'pop'_ sounded before a house elf appeared, "Bring us an assortment of food and drink. My guest hasn't had anything in six hours." He glanced at Harry in amusement while the elf popped away quickly to fulfill the order.

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	4. Let's Get Down To Business

**Hey guys! So, here's a brand new chapter! I hope you guys enjoy it!**

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"Talking"

_'Thinking or Flashback/Memory'_

_**Mind Link**_

**~Parseltongue~**

_Letters or Books_

_**~POV Change~**_

**-*-Timeskip-*-**

**(^-^)(^_^)(^-^)**

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**Harry Potter and How Things Changed In A Day**

**Chapter 4:**

**Let's Get Down To Business**

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Harry sat in his chair, a plate of sandwiches and treacle tart on a round table next to him. On his other side sat goblets containing: water, orange juice, as well as a cherry flavored sweet drink that he'd never had before but quite liked (he decided to ask what exactly it was later, as it was really tasty). As Harry took a bite of his second sandwich, munching happily, Ragnok spoke up, "Are you ready to begin now Mr. Potter?"

Harry nodded since he decided not to speak with a mouthful of food. "Now, the reason we invited you here is because, as of recently, we believe that the withdraws taken from your account were done without proper authorization from you Mr. Potter. We believe someone has been stealing money from you."

Harry blinked. Then blinked again. He swallowed his sandwich with a loud gulp before clearing his throat, "I'm sorry, Ragnok- er, Sir, but I haven't any money. My aunt and uncle do, but I... I haven't any."

Ragnok calmly put on his reading glasses and picked up a piece of parchment from the desk in front of him, "According to this parchment, someone has taken a total of 500,000 galleons from your Potter Family Vault since the beginning of this year."

"P-Potter Family Vault?" Harry coughed lightly, making sure his throat was cleared of food before he spoke, "B-but…"

"You didn't truly believe your parents left you with nothing when they died, did you?" Ragnok questioned.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, taking a delicate sip of his cherry flavored drink.  
Ragnok cleared his throat, going through his papers before picking up yet another piece of parchment, "Your parents, on the time of their death, left you with three vaults: the Potter Family Vault, a Trust Vault, and a Private Vault. The family vault is filled with your money for everyday needs, as well as some trinkets kept by your family. The Trust Vault is filled with money explicitly for the use of your Hogwarts tuition and expenses, as written by your mother before her passing. Finally, the Private Vault…" Ragnok trailed off here for a moment before continuing, "It is unknown what exactly is held inside the Private Vault, although it is easy to assume there is something of great value within each of your vaults. We will go and visit them at a later date," Ragnok added, noting the curious look on the boy's face.

"Currently held within the Potter Family Vault: around twelve billion galleons, or in muggle terms about sixty billion, a number of gemstones consisting mainly of rubies, diamonds and emeralds. There was a large collection of books in the vault, as well as a few magical artifacts, both of which were removed, we believe, without your consent. In your Trust Vault is five-hundred thousand galleons to be used to buy school supplies and the like as mentioned before." Harry blinked in surprise, "As of this moment, you're the richest wizard in the world." Harry blinked again before going into slight shock. The goblin winced as the goblet landed on the floor with a clatter, spilling red liquid everywhere.

The room was silent as Harry tried to process what had just been said. He had money! He wasn't the poor urchin his uncle had always called him. "T-twelve B-b-billion?" He tested the words shakily, sounding as if he was in an earthquake. At Ragnok's nod, he nearly fainted. The only reason he didn't do so was because of the Calming Draught still in his system.

It was then that Ragnok stated, "I suppose we will discuss the other vaults you inherited at another time. For now I believe you should go shop for a few things, rest, and return in the morning." At Harry's questioning look, he continued, "I believe that getting a good night's sleep will help you understand a few things we have discussed today. We will continue tomorrow, instead of giving you everything at once and overloading your young mind."

Slowly, Harry nodded, accepting the fact that perhaps he should leave to mull over things. Softly, he spoke, "Where will I go? Back to my Aunt's?"

The goblin shook his head, "No. I do not think it wise for you to return. I have someone in mind to take you in until tomorrow." Harry then became slightly frightened until he relaxed. The goblins had been nothing but nice to him, giving Harry enough faith not worry. Seeing his acceptance on the matter, the goblin pressed a button underneath his desk, and a shorter goblin quickly ran into the room. They spoke in a strange tongue before the goblin rushed back out to complete his ordered tasks.

Harry tilted his head, "What language was that?"

"Gobbledegook," Ragnok replied, "It's the tongue goblins use to speak to one another. I simply told him to get the man I requested as well as some money from your Trust Vault. Now, the man who will come here may look intimidating, but trust me when I say that he will take good care of you from now till you return tomorrow Mr. Potter." Ragnok silently took down the time compression spell he previously activated before the meeting seeing as how they might've been waiting half a day's time normally. After all, time is galleons!

Harry nodded, yawning lightly, "What's his name?"

"Tripp. Cyrus Tripp."

**-*-A short time later-*-**

It seemed like only seconds had passed until a knock was heard at the door. Ragnok called out for the person to enter, whilst Harry sunk deep into the soft cushions of his chair. When the door opened, a man strode in, his body covered in dark blue robes. He stood tall, a towering six foot. He had dark brown hair that was pulled into a ponytail behind him, and his jaw was well sculpted. Harry could not see the color of the man's eyes, as he hadn't looked his way yet. When he spoke, his voice was deep, rumbling with power, "Lord Ragnok, you requested to see me? I apologize for taking so long but Annie couldn't seem to stop her excitement at the thought of a guest.''

'_Who's Annie?'_ Harry thought.

"When I left, I believe she was still tidying up."

Ragnok chuckled, "Yes, Mrs. Tripp always was quite happy. You opened a hotel for the unwanted, correct?"

_'Unwanted?'_

At Cyrus's nod, he continued, "Well, we should continue on to the actual reason as to why you're here." The eyes in the room turned to Harry, and it was then that Cyrus noticed the small child in the armchair. He raised an eyebrow, studying the small form before turning back to Ragnok. "This is Harry Potter. He requires a safe place to stay for at least this evening. I know you can provide that."

Cyrus went silent for a moment before calmly walking over, and kneeling in front of the armchair. Cyrus gazed at Harry with dark brown/gold colored eyes, and Harry froze under the stare. Suddenly, the eyes seemed to brighten with warmth and Harry smiled, "Hello." He gave a small wave and Cyrus chuckled, which caused Harry to let out a small giggle.

Cyrus stood up fully while turning to Ragnok, "Is there anything I need to know before I take him back?" Ragnok nodded, pressing the button on the desk again.

The same goblin from before came running in carrying a small pouch. Ragnok held out the pouch after testing its weight in his hand, "This is from Mr. Potter's trust vault. I suggest buying him a trunk, as well as some proper clothes. Those… garments…" he said the word with distaste, his eyes taking in the child's clothing with disgust, "are not exactly well fitting for a wizard of Mr. Potter's stature, nor would I assume they are comfortable." Cyrus nodded once again before moving to the door.

"Also," Ragnok grinned as Cyrus turned back, standing at the door with perfect posture. "Don't be afraid to splurge a little bit." Cyrus grinned before nodding. Ragnok turned to Harry for one final time that day, "Cyrus will take care of you until you return tomorrow. What happens after that has yet to be decided."

Harry, taking notice of the obvious dismissal, slid out of his chair and began to walk slowly towards the tall man. He stood silently as the towering figure spoke, "Follow me, young one. Hold on to my cloak at all times." At Harry's nod, and the tightening of the small hand clutching at his robe, he left, the golden doors closing behind him.

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**So, who's Cyrus and what does he have to do with this story? Well... Another story for another time. **

**Uri~**


	5. Shopping Sprees Are Lots Of Fun

**Hey guys, Uri here! Here's Chapter 5 like I promised! I know it's taken me a while to post it, but I hope it's worth it. Please follow, favorite, review, and enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: See chapter 1!**

"Talking"

_'Thinking or Flashback/Memory'_

_**Mind Link**_

**~Parseltongue~**

_Letters or Books_

_**~POV Change~**_

**-*-Timeskip-*-**

**(^-^)(^_^)(^-^)**

* * *

**Harry Potter and How Things Changed In A Day**

**Chapter 5:**

**Shopping Sprees Are Lots Of Fun**

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Harry looked around in wonder, his eyes taking in everything possible. There were owls everywhere, people in cloaks – wizards, he corrected himself – talking and moving from shop to shop. Harry kept his grip on Cyrus's cloak tight, following behind the man quickly. His long legs made his stride difficult for Harry to keep up with, so he moved almost at a jog. Harry looked at the sign on the building they were entering. "Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions-." he mumbled softly to himself, following the tall man inside.

Once inside, they were stopped by a short woman with white-gray hair and blue eyes that were hidden behind slanted spectacles. "What can I do for you two?"

Cyrus quickly spoke up. "I need one set of formal robes, 7 sets of everyday robes, 3 heavy winter cloaks, 2 pairs of gloves, one hat, and a pair of dragonhide boots if you please. For him." He gestured to Harry, who had been hiding behind Cyrus' robes.

She nodded before speaking to Harry, "Well, up on the platform dear. Got to get you measured." Harry hurriedly climbed onto a round platform, the woman pulled out a stick and tapped him. Harry jumped in fright as a measuring tape flew over to him, measuring around his waist, ankles, wrists, head, and many other places. Harry could've sworn that at one point it had measured the distance between his eyes. When the boy glanced over at his current guardian, he saw him talking to the lady- Madam Malkin?

"…eyewear?" Harry had apparently tuned into the end of the conversation.

Madam Malkin had heard the question, unlike Harry, "I'd go to Nincom's Eyewear. Albert sells many types of magical spectacle and goggles. If I'm correct, they come with many enchantments like the Scratch-Resistance Charm."

"And for the clothes?"

"If you've only got galleons, I suggest Imagi-Knit. They sell muggle and wizarding clothes for children, teens, and adults." It was then that Madam Malkin looked at Harry, "Oh! You're done, you can get down." The tape measure flew over to the madam as the eavesdropping preteen hopped down from the pedestal. "Come back in an hour and a half. I'll have everything together. You're paying with galleons I presume?" At Cyrus's nod, she asked, "And your name, sir?"

"Tripp." The lady simply nodded, waving her stick again as fabrics and thread flew around the room. Cyrus led Harry out as she headed over to assist a blonde haired family. The youngest locked eyes with Harry for a moment before he turned back to the blonde gentleman Harry assumed was his family.

Harry licked his lips before speaking. "Where are we going, Mr. Tripp?"

"Call me Cyrus, Harry. We're going to this store I know called Treasured Trunks. If I'm going to be buying you some clothes, we're going to need a place to put them!" Cyrus turned around, smiling warmly at the small child. Harry clearly looked happy and excited at the prospect of some new clothes, at some new _anything_. Cyrus turned, leading Harry to a new store. In front of the store was a sign in the shape of an open chest with the name of the shop beautifully scripted in gold.

A middle aged man greeted them when they walked in. "Cyrus! What can I do for you? That trunk I sold you should be good for another long while."

Cyrus chuckled. "I need another trunk identical to mine. For this one," he gestured to the boy next to him, still holding tightly to his cloak.

The man's eyes flickered to the child's forehead before he addressed Cyrus, "Dragon hide, which theft resistance charms as well? Would you like it warded?" At Cyrus's nod, he then asked, "What dragon?"

"Hebridean." The man nodded before pulling out a small pamphlet and handing it to Cyrus. He then turned away to go get the trunk and set it up, telling them he'd be only a minute or two.

"Cyrus? If dragons exist, how do people- er, muggles- not see them?" The tentative voice floated up to Cyrus's ears, and he turned to look at Harry.

Cyrus thought on it for but a moment. "Well, you know how you're a wizard? And I'm a wizard, and everyone around us is a wizard?" At Harry's nod, he continued, "Being a wizard means you're capable of doing magic. Wizards use magic to keep muggles away from where the dragons are kept. At least, from the ones in captivity. There are some wild dragons, like the Hebridean Black for example. The Hebridean Black is a species of dragon that lives in the wild parts of Scotland."

Harry thought this over for a moment before another question left his lips. "Why did he ask about what dragon you wanted?"

"Some trunks are made from dragon hide because it's resistant to many spells. The Hebridean Black is one of the few that is very strong – it's skin almost impenetrable. The only thing stronger would probably be basilisk hide."

"You mean they make the trunks out of dragon skin?"

"And the scales, yes."

Cyrus watched Harry's reaction, chuckling at the single word, "Wicked." It wasn't but moments later that the owner walked over to them.

"A four compartment trunk, each the size of a large living area, as well as a library and dueling area. Password lock, magical signature lock, as well as anti-theft wards and charms. It has a feather light charm, as I can assume you will be using this quite often and we don't want to weigh anyone down. Everything else, you are well aware of Cyrus." At Cyrus' nod, he shrunk it down and handed it over. After asking for an amount so large it shocked Harry, they left.

**-*-A Few Hours Later-*-**

Harry couldn't believe the day he was having. He had found out he was a wizard and not afreak, then been taken out _shopping! _He had gotten clothes from this cool store called Imagi-Knit that sold muggle clothes to wizards with some added magical features (if Harry remembered correctly, there was a charm that made them grow with the wearer for two whole years). From there he had gotten multiple shirts, trousers, a few pairs of new trainers, as well as some new briefs (they had almost forgotten to get socks as well). Cyrus had then taken him to get some new spectacles from another store (Nincom's Eyewear) and had gotten some glasses _and _sunglasses that suited his eyes better. He was told they were scratch, water, and summon (whatever that meant) resistant. Every once in a while he would reach up and mess with them, and Cyrus would release a chuckle whenever he did.

Now, they were heading to a shop that had cages everywhere. Cyrus had told him that if they were going to splurge, they 'were going to splurge _correctly!_' As they entered, Harry heard the sounds of cats hissing, dogs barking, and frogs croaking. Everywhere he looked, there was a different animal. He saw black ravens, snakes, frogs, some weird creatures (the sign in front of the cage said puffskeins), owls, cats, rabbits, rats. Harry was pretty sure he even saw some fox cubs. He looked to Cyrus.

"Well? Go pick something." Harry blinked a few times before hurrying away. He read the names of cages and cases as he passed them, each holding animals that were both familiar and unfamiliar to him (although the latter was more apparent than the former). _Puffskins, Rats, Fire Crabs, Flobberworms, Ancromantula eggs, Black cats, Crup, Kneazle, Hippocampus eggs._ It seemed to never end!

Finally, Harry came to a small cage that was stuffed into a corner of the room. It was barely noticeable compared to the large cages surrounding it. The child peered into it, only to jump when Cyrus spoke up from behind him.

"That is a Wolf-Lion." As if knowing that it was being talked about, the bushy bundle in the cage sleepily looked up, yawning before peering at its visitors. "They're rare, as they only exist in our world – the magical world." Harry looked at the creature in wonder, tilting his head thoughtfully. The animal was rich in color, hints of brown, red and gold scattered throughout its fur, representing both sides of the creature's lineage. The creature had the snout of a wolf, but the eyes of a lion. Its ears and tail showed its wolf counterpart while its paws, eyes, and fangs showed the lion.

"He's very handsome," Harry commented, placing his hand on the cage door. The canine sniffed his hand and gave him a small lick through the bars.

"Wolf-Lions tend to be so." After a moment's silence, not counting Harry's small giggles, Cyrus asked a simple question, "Do you want him, then?"

Harry turned to look at Cyrus, smiling happily. "Yeah." The elder wizard nodded as he opened up the cage with a simple tap of his wand. The canine looked at the now accessible ground before looking to Harry as he was picked up with gentle hands. The wolf yipped happily before jumping to the ground and sitting at his feet. "Thank you Cyrus."

"You deserve some companions Harry," was all Cyrus said as he turned, making his way to the counter. Harry followed after him, listening to the soft sound of his new canine's paws tap the ground. He continued to look around the room, smiling as he took in the other animals. Harry stood behind Cyrus at the counter, continuing to look around before locking eyes with an animal. She was beautiful, her feathers a pure white and eyes a beautiful amber. Cyrus spoke quietly with the pet-shop owner, haggling with him for the price, before looking to Harry when he noticed his silence. He narrowed his eyes before following his gaze, letting out a gasp when he was forced to duck. The owl flew where his head had just been before settling herself on Harry's rat-nest that he called his hair. She preened his hair before settling and tucking her wings in.

"Uh, Cyrus? What is she doing?" He crossed his eyes as he tried to look up at her, clearly unable to do so.

Cyrus let out a chuckle. "I believe she's… Yeah, she's sleeping." The owner stared, mouth wide open in shock. That bird rejected everyone who'd tried to buy her, flying back to the store immediately after being sold. At seeing the older customer staring at him with a raised eyebrow, he quickly explained. Once he finished, Cyrus let out a soft hum and thought to himself, _'Animals seem to be attracted to him. I wonder why people aren't.' _At seeing Harry's worry over what to do with the owl sleeping in his hair, Cyrus said, "Why don't you keep her? She seems to like you."

"Are you sure Cyrus? I mean, I've already got the Lion-Wolf." Cyrus chuckled at Harry over how he had said the animal's name.

"It's _Wolf-Lion_, Harry. And yes, I believe she'll be good for you." At seeing the hesitation still on Harry's face, Cyrus said something that the boy would remember for years to come: "You deserve some companions Harry." After a few more moments of thought, Harry nodded, and Cyrus paid for the animals before leading the happy boy out the store. People stared at the two, as they made quite the pair: a young child, who had a bird sleeping on his head and a Wolf-Lion walking along next to him, was walking with a tall wizard who oozed a type of magic that made people shudder.

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**Don't forget to Vote! The Creature Inheritance Poll is going well. Once it's done, the next poll will go up: Who To Bash!**


	6. The Red Pond Hotel

**Hey guys! Here's Chapter 6! I know it's been a long wait, but I just finished my semester finals. I'm also gonna be moving withing the next two weeks, so things are bound to be a little hectic. **

**So, in case I don't get Chapter 7 up in time for Christmas, this will be your Christmas present. If I don't get Chapter 7 up in time for Christmas, then it'll be up in time for New Years. That's a promise!**

**Make sure to Vote on my Creature Inheritance Poll. It'll close at any random moment, so get to voting! Go on! Get!**

"Talking"

_'Thinking or Flashback/Memory'_

_**Mind Link**_

**~Parseltongue~**

_Letters or Books_

_**~POV Change~**_

**-*-Timeskip-*-**

**(^-^)(^_^)(^-^)**

* * *

**Harry Potter and How Things Changed In A Day**

**Chapter 6:**

**The Red Pond Hotel**

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Harry was wary of the dark alley, as well as slightly fearful of the people around him. Harry's new companion had settled into his arms, and let out a slight whimper as he was carried. Harry gripped Cyrus's cloak tightly with one hand, letting out a soft sound of fear as he felt the man's hand on his shoulder. Eyes watched them past, some malicious and some curious. The combination made Harry grip tighter to Cyrus's dark cloak. When they finally stopped, it was next to a tall building that seemed squished between the shops next to it. The windows were dark and blacked out, and the simple sign above the door would have disappeared if no one was looking directly at it.

The inside of the store was warm and inviting, the furniture around the room a deep shade of red. People were sitting in chairs and on couches that were scattered around the room. One man watched Harry with dark eyes until a goblet was set in front of him. Harry's stomach did a flip when he realized what the thick red liquid was.

"C-Cyrus! That man's drinking blood!" He whispered loudly to his resident guardian.

"I know Harry. It's normal around here."

"It is?"

Before Cyrus could respond, the voice of a woman was heard, "Cyrus? Is that you?" The owner of the voice appeared from an arched doorway, her dark curls shining in the dim light of the room.

"Hey Annie. Sorry it took so long, we were doing a bit of shopping." Cyrus smiled at his wife, tapping his pocket where Harry's shrunken trunk was currently at.

Annie smiled happily, moving towards the pair. At that moment, she looked much like a child receiving candy, the expression on her face filled with excitement. "Where is he then?" Instead of sounding like his Aunt, as Harry had expected, she sounded like… _'Like an angel,'_ Harry noted.

Harry, at the realization that this woman was nothing like his Aunt, stepped out from behind Cyrus. He smiled at her nervously, taking in her curly black hair and her pretty blue eyes. She looked him over for a moment before smiling and clapping her hands softly.

"Well, let's get you settled in before we get aquatinted, hm?" She walked towards Harry, taking his hand and leading him away from the main room. The canine, whom Harry had yet to pick a name for, jumped out of Harry's arms and followed them from the floor.

They walked past the many patrons, Annie holding Harry's hand the whole way. One patron watched them with a hungry look in his eye, and Harry's eye's widened when he realized it was the same man who had been drinking blood from the goblet. _'I can't wait to be away from him,' _he thought to himself.

"Don't stare. It's rude." Harry jumped before looking back up at Annie. It seemed that she'd noticed his stares, and he nodded in apology.

"Yes ma'am."

She smiled at him reassuringly, "It's alright. Just try not to do it again." Harry nodded once more before he was led up a stairway. He admired the architecture as they walked; each wall was covered in small details that gave Harry the thought that the walls were moving. Deep reds and dark shades of mahogany colored the walls and doors. Annie gave Harry a smile, "This will be your room, alright?" She opened the door, and the room that was revealed to Harry's eyes was unlike any other he'd ever seen. The bed looks so soft and inviting that Harry was tempted to go and take a nap.

Cyrus patted him lightly on the shoulder. "This room is yours, Harry," he repeated Annie's statement, noticing that Harry hadn't reacted to

"All mine?" Harry wasn't used to having a room all to himself. Even his cupboard was used by his aunt and uncle to store dusty brooms and smelly mops.

Cyrus and Annie shared a look that the young wizard couldn't identify before Cyrus looked back at Harry. "Yes Harry, all yours." Harry stared at the tall man for a moment before disappearing in a flash. There was a soft 'thump', and when the two Tripps turned around, they smiled. Harry had disappeared into the soft and fluffy comforter that lay on his bed, a look of complete and utter contentment appearing on his face. Harry's new owl hooted with annoyance, ruffling her feathers and fixing them with her beak. She settled on the table next to the bed, watching as the black haired pre-teen relaxed.

Annie walked up to the bed and sat down, rubbing his shoulder. "Do you want us to come back and wake you for dinner?" Her voice was soothing, and her hand was soft against Harry's shoulder, a sharp contrast to the treatment he was used too.

"I get dinner?"

"…Yes, Harry. You get dinner whenever you want it." Her voice sounded slightly different than it had before, but Harry didn't notice. He was too happy.

"I'd love that, Mrs. Tripp!"

"Call me Annie, Harry."

"Okay."

Harry smiled at them before suddenly realizing how tired he was. His day had been filled with things he hadn't expected: goblins, wizards, magic, and shopping. He'd learned things about himself that he didn't understand, and things he did.

His eyes drooped, and Annie sighed softly. "I'll come back to wake you for dinner, okay?"

"Okay." Before Annie had even gotten up from the bed, Harry had fallen asleep, becoming oblivious to the world around him. He didn't know that Cyrus had put him under the covers. He didn't know that Annie had placed a soothing kiss to his forehead. One thing he definitely didn't know was what Annie and Cyrus were talking about while he slept, and that that thing would change his life in ways he never could've imagined.

**-*-A Few Hours Later-*-**

Harry woke up some time later. His first thought was that his entire day had been a dream and that he was back in his cupboard, that magic and Annie and Goblins and Cyrus didn't exist. But then he felt the soft bedspread beneath his hand and the extremely fluffy pillow beneath his cheek. He heard the door brush against the carpet that was on the floor and opened his eyes slightly. A dark shadow stood in the light of the door and moved towards him. He shut his eyes immediately and stiffened, trying to stay calm. A gentle hand moved through his hair, and the bed dipped next to him as the person sat down.

"Harry… I know you're awake, sweetheart. It's okay." Harry recognized the voice almost immediately, and opened his eyes. Her blue eyes looked down at him, filled with kindness- something he'd rarely ever seen in his life.

"I thought it was a dream…" He admitted softly.

Annie shook her head, "No, Harry. It wasn't a dream." When Harry sat up, Annie combed her fingers through his hair. She fixed it a little before handing Harry his glasses. "Dinner's about to be served. Would you like to eat?" Harry nodded, so Annie took his hand gently and led the small boy from the room. Harry's companions flew and walked out behind him, the owl landing on his shoulder and the Wolf-Lion walking along beside him. Harry walked with Annie, stiffening slightly out of fear when he they entered the main room and he saw the man who had been drinking blood earlier. Annie rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb gently, leading him to Cyrus.

Cyrus sat at the head of a long table, reading a book intently. He didn't realize Harry had walked up until Annie set him down on his left. He looked up, closed the book, and tucked it into his cloak before turning to Harry. "How was your nap?"

"It was great!" He gushed, forgetting all about Cyrus' suspicious actions as he talked adamantly about his bed and his dream and how comfortable he was. It was barely a minute later before he said, "I wish I could live here!"

Cyrus and Annie shared a look, and Annie smiled lightly to him and nodded. Cyrus then turned to Harry, making sure to meet his gaze. He smiled lightly at Harry's exuberance and ruffled his hair. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Harry."

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**I hope you guys enjoyed it! I know it was short, but I had a brain fart. Luckily, I know what I'm gonna be doing next.**

**Until next time.**

**Uri~**


	7. New Friends

_**AN: Hey guys! I've been working real hard getting chapters done for all of you. I've gotten four done in a week (I've had spare time for once), and I'm currently working on Chapter Number 11! Special thanks to my Beta, Maddox, and I hope you all like this chapter as much as we do!**_

"Talking"

_'__Thinking or Flashback/Memory'_

**_Mind Link_**

**~Parseltongue~**

_Letters or Books_

**_~POV Change~_**

**-*-Timeskip-*-**

**(^-^)(^_^)(^-^)**

* * *

**Harry Potter and How Things Changed In A Day**

**Chapter 7:**

**New Friends**

* * *

That night was the best night Harry could remember in his short life. The dinner had been amazing, and Harry had gotten so much attention that night. People were coming up to the table and sitting down, starting discussions with _him! _Usually he was ignored at dinner, or angrily told to go to his cupboard without dinner.

He'd met a lot of people that night, but the ones he remembered the most were Neculai, Mira, Safiya, and Katerina.

It turned out that the man who'd been drinking blood when he entered the hotel was Neculai, a dark skinned vampire who originated from Romania. After getting to know him, Harry found that he was like an overprotective big brother. He was happy about that, to be honest. He'd never had a brother.

Mira was his vampiric mate. She'd told Harry that she grew up in Bulgaria with a Vampire Lord (whatever that was) as a father and a crow named Mirage as a pet. It was a combination of her and another patron who helped him name his two pets.

"That's a beautiful owl, Harry," Mira said, stroking her wing gently. On the floor, his Wolf-Lion ran around with another Wolf-Lion that was colored in silver, grey, and black. They played, barking at each other. Mira sighed. "Katerina, would you please stop that?" The silver, grey, and black Wolf-Lion looked at her before it seemed to roll its eyes. It then began to grow, and within a few seconds a woman stood where the canine had been. She tossed her silver curls over her shoulder.

"You just wish you could do it too." She laughed and ruffled Mira's pixie cut hair before picking up the canine and sitting down, scratching his head.

Mira sent her a withering glare, "Alright. I'll leave you to believe that if you'd like."

"I would." Katerina laughed, feeding the pup some raw meat from her fingertips. "Have you come up with a name for them yet, Harry?"

He shook his head, chewing his mouthful of fish before speaking. "Not yet. I haven't thought about it much, really."

"Well, I think they need names," the silver haired Shifter said, tilting her head in thought. "What would you like, little guy?"

There was silence in the room before Annie spoke up, "What about Bane? It's a strong name for a creature that'll grow to be just as strong." There were murmurs around the table as they discussed it. Moments later, the Wolf-Lion named Bane barked, wagging his tail.

"There's one down," Katerina said, smiling to herself.

"What should I name my owl?" He asked, petting her head gently. She closed her amber colored eyes in response to the gentle touch, butting into the hand lightly.

"Aria."

Every head in the room turned to a darkened corner, where a woman sat spinning a galleon with her magic. She moved her finger slowly, causing the coin to slow as well. This was Safiya. She grew up in Egypt when Cleopatra reigned. She was really pretty, with golden skin and hair the color of obsidian.

"What," Harry asked, confused.

"Aria. It's the word Italian for 'air', not to mention it is a very beautiful name." Safiya gave Harry a smile before picking up her galleon and moving to the table, grabbing herself a plate of Kofta Kababs (something that Harry was told was a dish that originated from Egypt) before sitting down next to Annie.

And that was that. His first pets ever were named. Harry couldn't have been happier.

**-*-The Next Morning-*-**

When Harry woke the next morning, he once again believed it had all been a dream. A fantastic and wonderful dream, but still a dream. When Harry finally opened his eyes, for the third time in twenty-four hours, he was ecstatic. He hurried downstairs in his new pajamas.

"Annie! Annie?" He called, standing in the hall he'd had dinner in the night before.

The room was silent. Harry didn't understand. He was here. The Dursleys were still at Surrey. Where was Annie?

"Hey kiddo!"

Harry jumped and turned around, tilting his head. It was a woman he didn't recognize. She had purple hair that was sticking up everywhere as if she'd just been struck by a lightning bolt. Her eyes were big and blue, much too blue for her to be human… "Kat?"

"Yeah?"

"Oh. I didn't recognize you. Where's Annie?"

"She's probably still in bed," Katerina explained, leading Harry to one of the larger tables. "Annie and Cyrus usually sleep in until eight." Harry looked around for a clock, but couldn't find one. The Shifter smiled and added, "Its 7:30, kiddo."

"Oh." Harry hadn't realized until just now that he said that a lot. _'Oh'_.

Kat snapped her fingers, and one of the things he recognized now as a house-elf appeared. "Would you be a dear and get us some breakfast?"

"Yes Miss Shifter." With a crack, the elf disappeared.

"Anyway, Annie'll probably be down soon. Just give her a little time." Harry nodded and prepared to wait. A few seconds later the elf reappeared, setting plates of food on the table along with a few extra plates and some utensils.

The dark haired ten year old felt his stomach growl as the delicious smell hit his nostrils, and he quickly began loading up his plate with sausages and bacon and eggs cooked perfectly to his liking. He also got a slice of toast and a bowl of syrup for his sausages. Immediately after he finished loading his plate, he began eating, scarfing down as much food as he could as quickly as he could, as if he was worried the food would disappear.

Katerina laughed softly, "Slow down Harry, or you'll get sick." Harry gave her a small smile before trying to slow down. He was eating half as fast as he was a few seconds ago, so it was definitely an improvement.

Harry and Kat ate in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before a bark from Harry's feet got his attention. He looked down to see Bane, who was wagging his tail and licking his chops. "Hungry boy? Here you go." He put a few sausages on one of the extra plates and put it in front of Bane. Bane barked and licked Harry's hand in thanks before going for the first sausage on the plate.

"Harry. That's not proper food for a Wolf-Lion." Bane yipped in annoyance when his plate was taken away by a curly haired witch. "Flopsy!" **_CRACK!_** "Would you get me some of the raw meat we have back in the kitchens? Lamp or beef, if you don't mind." **_CRACK! _**Pause. **_CRACK! _**"Thank you Flopsy." Annie set down the plate in front of Bane, who sniffed the meat and nibbled on it before letting out a happy little yip as he began eating. "And don't you start feeding bacon to your owl now."

"Annie!" Harry smiled, getting up to give her a hug.

She smiled and hugged him back, patting his hair gently. "Good morning, sweetheart." Cyrus chuckled and ruffled Harry's dark locks before sitting down, ordering toad in a hole from a house elf as he watched his wife and guest.

Harry backed away from Annie after a moment, "I thought it'd all been a dream!"

Kat laughed softly while Cyrus responded, "Of course it wasn't a dream." He looked at Harry as an elf set his breakfast on the table. "If you ever find yourself thinking you're in a dream, look at your hand. You'll have more than five fingers if you are."

"Really? Cool!" When Harry sat down again, he couldn't have been happier. He had friends, pets, and _magic_! He still couldn't get over that.

* * *

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_**AN: I almost completely forgot! I added a little something to chapter one, if you guys would like to check it out. Not only have I edited it, but I added a special little paragraph. ;3 Hope you find it! R&amp;R**_


	8. Here We Go Again

**_AN: This chapter and the following few chapters all take place at Gringotts. While I know it can get boring reading about someone's accounts and all that, it has to be done before this story can move all that much along. I apologize for those that become annoyed with me, but it must be done at some point._**

"Talking"

_'__Thinking or Flashback/Memory'_

**_Mind Link_**

**~Parseltongue~**

_Letters or Books_

**_~POV Change~_**

**-*-Timeskip-*-**

**(^-^)(^_^)(^-^)**

* * *

**Harry Potter and How Things Changed In A Day**

**Chapter 8:**

**Here We Go Again**

* * *

Harry held onto Cyrus's hand as they walked through the pristine doors of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Cyrus had put a dissil-disu- he'd done something to Harry so he looked like a younger brown haired boy with brown eyes and freckles. The older man had said something about him not wanting anyone to find Harry (Harry didn't understand what the big deal was. He was just a kid, after all.) So, as they entered Gringotts, the disguised boy got a chance to look around.

Along each side were at least thirty tellers, and each goblin had a line of people waiting to be seen. At one corner of the room was a very seating area, with house elves bustling about to serve coffee and tea to the wizards and witches who demanded it.

Cyrus led Harry to a teller, Harry's attention turning onto the goblin at the end of his line when he heard raised voices. He flinched behind Cyrus when he heard, "I demand to know! Don't you know who I am?!" He'd never liked it when people raised their voice. It scared him.

"I am not authorized to provide you with that information… sir." The goblin had said sir as if the word left a bad taste on his tongue.

"Then bring me someone who is!" The man spluttered, his long white beard whipping this way and that.

The goblin stared at him for a moment before snapping his fingers. "Tell Lord Ragnok that I have a man here who is demanding to know why he is unable to access his vaults."

"Yes sir," the squeaky voice said before it disappeared.

"Now sir, if you'd please step aside. I have more people to see to," he said, waving a long fingered hand at the line behind the elderly man. The man puffed up angrily before stepping aside, resigning himself to wait.

Cyrus put his hand on Harry's shoulder, rubbing gently. The line moved forward smoothly as people were attended to, and Harry visibly shied behind Cyrus when they neared that man. He scared him. Cyrus lifted his chin, putting on a show of confident arrogance. "I have a meeting with Lord Ragnok. Is he busy?"

"For you, Lord Tripp, no. Allow me to lead you to his office." The goblin put a sign on the top of his desk that read '_Will be back momentarily'_ before climbing down from his pedestal.

The elderly man who'd been waiting for almost fifteen minutes spouted angrily, "Excuse me? Wasn't I supposed to have a meeting with Ragnok?"

"Lord Ragnok prefers to see his prized clients first, Professor. I'm sure you'll get your meeting with him soon." And with that, the goblin lead Cyrus and Harry through a door. Harry noticeably relaxed when they were away from the old wizard. That man just gave off a bad vibe, in Harry's opinion.

As the goblin lead them down the hall, Harry couldn't help but move to walk next to the dark haired creature. "What's your name?"

The goblin glanced at Harry before saying, "I am Griphook, a teller here at Gringotts Wizarding Bank."

"Oh. It's nice to meet you, sir! I'm-"

"I know who you are," he said, looking around with a calculating gaze. "No need to tell me when others may be listening in."

Harry slowly nodded, bowing his head slightly in a respectful manner. "Sorry sir."

Griphook paused in his walk before continuing. "Now need to apologize, un ifanc."

"What was that?"

"Hm? Un ifanc?"

"Yes sir."

Griphook sighed softly before saying, "That's gobbledegook. Un ifanc means young one." ((WELSH))

"What's gobbledegook?"

"Inquisitive, aren't you? Gobbledegook is the language of the Goblin Nation."

"Could I learn it," Harry inquired after a moment.

The goblin contemplated the question. "I suppose." He stopped walking when they reached a familiar door, knocking once before opening it. "Lord Ragnok, Lord Tripp and his charge are here to see you."

"Send them in."

Griphook opened the door wider and walked into the office after he got the two wizards into the room

The room was very similar to the day before, except now there weren't a dozen files stacked on the goblin's desk. Now, there were three bowls on one half of his desk, each filled with swirling liquids of very different color. Harry realized after a moment that those bowls were the ones that his blood had dropped into the day before.

"Harry," Lord Ragnok said, greeting him once the door was shut behind the two humans. Griphook moved to stand next to Ragnok's desk as he spoke. "I hope your shopping trip went well. Did you enjoy your stay at the Red Pond?" When he finished he glanced at Cyrus, who gave a light nod.

"Yeah! I got clothes and pets and a trunk and then when we got to the hotel I met so many people!" Harry began to ramble, listing off all the things he'd gotten and had been given and what had happened at the Red Pond.

Ragnok chuckled softly and held up his hand, making Harry fall silent as he took the charm off of him, his appearance changing back to his normal green eyes and messy black hair. "That's great Harry, and I'd hate to ruin your mood, but we really should get down to business." Harry blinked in surprise before nodding. The goblin was right.

Once the three had found their seats, Ragnok spoke, his voice having lost all its amusement, "We must go over the multiple vaults you've inherited, as well as the contents contained inside. Once we finish with that, we'll take a look at your parents' will and this parchment," he gestured to the parchment which was soaking in one of the bowls, "to see what spells, if any, have been placed on you, as well as to see all of the abilities you possess. Understand?" Once Harry had nodded, "Alright. Let me place the time compression spell, and we'll get started." Harry sat patiently as Ragnok put up the spell, preparing to go through hours of listening as the Lord of the Wizarding Bank went through his newfound belongings.

"Which accounts are we starting with," Harry asked. "If I remember correctly, weren't there four accounts that I had?"

"Actually, there were five. The accounts you own are the Potter, Perverell, Gryffindor, Zynostru and Myrddin accounts. We will start with the Perverell Account, since we skimmed the Potter Account yesterday, if you don't mind." He cleared his throat.

"Wait, what about the Private Vault? You didn't tell me what was inside that one." Harry straightened up, playing with a piece of thread that'd come from his jeans.

"The only way to know the contents of the Private Vault is to have you, Harry, open the vault yourself. It's been sealed so only a Potter can open the door."

"How would I open it?"

"It'll require you pressing your hand to the door and pushing your magic into it. That's all that it says here." Ragnok paused, looking at Harry over the scroll that was in his hands. "Once we finish here, if you're up for it, we can go and take a look at the contents for ourselves."

Harry thought for a moment before nodding. "Okay."

Ragnok smiled toothily as he opened the in his long fingered hands. "The Perverell Account contains two vaults, the Perverell Family Vault, and the Private Perverell Vault. The only thing in the Family vault is a large sum of money. Inside the Private vault are an assortment of portraits, jewelry, dresses and cloaks made from the finest Ancromantula silk. The amount of money in the Family vault comes to roughly 16.2 Billion galleons." After he finished reading that off, he took another scroll into his hand and broke the seal. The goblin glanced at Harry to make sure he was still alright and after seeing no shock on his face he continued, "The Gryffindor Account contains two vaults, the Gryffindor Family Vault, and the Gryffindor Treasure Vault. The Family vault contains only galleons. The amount total is 152.09 Billion galleons, while the Treasure vault contains portraits, jewels, swords, daggers, bows and arrows, plaques, books on languages, titles and deeds to homes and businesses that were won through conquest against others." Ragnok chuckled then.

"What," Cyrus asked.

"Well, it seems the Lord Gryffindor had a bit of luck with gambling. That's how he got most of his titles and deeds." Ragnok shook his head with a toothy smirk. He flipped open another scroll after setting that one aside. "The Zynostru Account contains only one Vault, which was titled with the name 'Zynostru Main Vault'. Inside the vault are galleons, which number up to 235.2 Billion galleons in total. Aside from the galleons are books, journals, cloaks, wands, carvings, one pound of-" Ragnok blinked. "This can't be right." He scrubbed at the parchment with a piece of cloth. When nothing changed, the goblin's eyes widened. "I can't believe it. There's a pound of Pink Star Diamonds in that vault!"

"What's that?" Harry's small voice permeated the silence, confusion evident in how he spoke.

"Pink Star Diamonds are the rarest jewels in the world," Cyrus explained, his hand on Harry's shoulder. "A single carat is worth over a million American dollars."

The green eyed boy blinked in shock. "So, if a carrot is worth over a million, how much is a pound worth."

"It's _carat_ Harry, and if I were to guess, I'd say a pound is worth over thirty million galleons."

"Close, Mister Tripp, but no. A pound of Pink Star Diamonds are worth roughly 41.1 million galleons." Ragnok put down the parchment, summoning an elf and ordering refreshments. The elf disappeared and returned quickly with a large assortment of drinks. Ragnok took a sip of water before picking up the last scroll. This one looked to be extremely old, from the numerous wrinkles and the dark coloring on the parchment. The paper was thicker than normal parchment and the cloth that was tying it shut was frayed and barely holding together.

"Which one is that," Harry asked, reaching out to touch it. "It's so old."

"This is the Myrddin Account Sheet. It hasn't been opened in centuries… I'm pretty sure the only reason it's still together is because there's a time compression spell on it." Ragnok looked at the scroll, tipping it back and forth gently as he inspected it. "The only thing keeping the spell from falling apart is this cloth here," he said, picking up the end of the cloth and inspecting it. The tip fell off in his hand and crumbled to dust almost immediately. The goblin sighed. "I'm afraid that if I open this one, the only thing we'll find is this parchment turning to dust."

"So how will Harry find out what's in his Vault?"

There was silence from Ragnok's end before he stood, shifting his robes. "We'll have to go to the vault ourselves and find out. Luckily, the Myrddin account is the oldest account in the bank, so I know which vault number it is."

Harry felt the tension in the room suddenly increase. "What's the number?"

There was a daunting silence before he said, "One."

* * *

**(^-^)(^_^)(^-^)**

**Cassandra30****: What is a choro? Also, Remus comes along later. I promise he'll make an appearance in this story.**

**Until next time, R&amp;R**

**Uri~**


	9. Vault Number One

**Ello peoples. I know you've all been a little angry with me for that last chapter- you know, with that cliffhanger and everything. Well, I'm sorry (not sorry) to say that there's more cliffhangers to come. Now, while I know that this chapter is shorter than the last (by 300 words), I believe that I make up for that by what happened in this fic. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. **

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.**

"Talking"

_'Thinking or Flashback/Memory'_

_**Mind Link**_

**~Parseltongue~**

_Letters or Books_

_**~POV Change~**_

**-*-Timeskip-*-**

**(^-^)(^_^)(^-^)**

* * *

**Harry Potter and How Things Changed In A Day**

**Chapter 9:**

**Vault Number One**

* * *

The ride down to Harry's vault was filled with silence that was permeated by roars of dragons and whooshes of carts as they passed. Harry smiled widely when he got a view of a dragon, its tail whipping around a corner as orange flames spewed from its mouth. Harry gasped when it looked at them, a glint in its eyes as they disappeared around the corner.

Cyrus put his hand on Harry's shoulder, his cloak whipping behind the cart as they shot down into the depths of Gringotts. "When we get there, stay close to me." Harry could barely hear him past the wind howling in his ears, but he nodded when he figured out what it was he'd said.

It must've been almost ten minutes later when they finally slowed to a stop. The halls were dark and rats squeaked as they ran along the ground. Only one vault resided in this hall, the end of which was the large door to the vault. Ragnok climbed out of the cart and picked up the lantern. "Ignore the rats. No one's been down here in many years." He sneered at the cobwebs and dust that littered the ceiling and floor, the golden walls shiny with muck.

Harry climbed out of the cart (with help from Cyrus) and looked around, yelping when a rat ran across his foot to get somewhere. "This is so gross!" He knew he probably sounded like a girl, but he didn't see anything wrong with that when he was surrounded with rats and cobwebs and things that hadn't been touched in what seemed like centuries. Cyrus put a hand on his shoulder and took out his wand, casting multiple cleaning charms as the group walked towards the door, keeping their robes and shoes clean of all that littered the floor.

When they reached the door, Ragnok inspected it. He ran his hand across the front of the door, his hand millimeters from the filthy gold. As he did so, the grime disappeared, revealing that was hidden underneath. In the center of the door, about four feet above the ground, was a shape that looked like an egg. Above that was a bird that had it wings spread wide open, its tail feathers brushing the egg. Ragnok hummed softly and stepped back. "If I'm correct, I'm guessing this is where you put your hand," he said, his long nail pointing at the egg. "You'd push your magic into the door, and it'll open."

"You don't know anything else?" Cyrus asked, exasperated. Harry could get hurt doing this, and Ragnok had no ideas on what to do!

"There's no way to get inside without the heir opening the door themselves. And since Harry's the only heir we know of, there's no one and nothing that can open the door but him."

Cyrus was going to open his mouth to speak when Harry spoke for him. "I'll do it." He walked up to the door, lifting his hand.

"Harry, you don't know what could happen," Cyrus tried.

"And we won't unless I try." Harry shrugged, giving Cyrus a smile before turning to the door, taking a deep breath. He lifted his hand, hesitating before pressing it against the egg. For a few seconds, nothing happened, and Harry laughed softly. "I guess-" He gasped suddenly and his eyes rolling back into his head as he felt something get pulled from his body. Energy was flowing out of his body, down his arm, and into the door, causing the bird engraved on it to glow brightly. Cyrus yelled in shock and grabbed Harry, Ragnok helping as they tried to pull him from the door. His body wouldn't budge, the energy in his body growing smaller and smaller until something snapped, unleashing a torrent of energy. Cyrus and Ragnok were thrown back, skidding across the grim covered floor and watching from their spots on the ground in shock. The light began to move through the door, illuminating all the beautiful carvings of creatures Harry'd never seen before. He would've noticed it if it wasn't for the fact that he couldn't see anything. The light spread upwards and outwards, slowing its pace when it reached the edge of the golden door. The light inched closer, and when it barely brushed the edge, the light retracted backwards, following its path back into Harry's body and pushing itself back into him.

Harry staggered when he was released from the door, his head swimming. He collapsed to his hands and knees, breathing heavily as the doors slowly began to open. A strong energy came out of the vault, cleaning the halls as it swept through Gringotts. Torches along the wall lit with golden fire, casting shadows and lighting up the gold and silver, emeralds and sapphires and rubies and diamonds glowing with ethereal light from where they were embedded into the walls. When the doors finally opened, Harry stood, his clothes plastered to his skin from sweat. He felt magic brush softly along his body, cleaning him off and filling him with energy.

"Dear Merlin," Cyrus mumbled, bringing his hand up and dragging it through his hair. Harry was bathed in golden light, his hair flowing from the magic that was circling him.

He and Ragnok picked themselves off the beautiful glimmering floor, making their way to Harry. Cyrus looked down at Harry, and Harry looked up at him, his green eyes almost glowing with power. "Are you okay Cyrus," he asked, looking at his hair, which had been ripped free of his ponytail.

"I'm fine," he said softly, giving Harry a gentle pat on his shoulder. In all honesty, his body ached, and he wanted nothing more than to lie down. Harry gave him a small smile, taking his and Ragnok's hands.

"The voice told me that I'd only be able to take others into the vault with me if I was holding their hand." Before either of the older magicals could ask what Harry meant by 'the voice', he'd pulled them towards the vault.

Ragnok's eyes widened, "Harry-"

"Wait!" They tried to stop Harry from taking them into the vault, but their words fell on deaf ears. Harry crossed through the door, pulling them into the vault with him. They each became speechless as they looked around at the contents of the vault.

Along the walls were torches that burned with the same golden fire as the torches outside. The light shined off the piles and piles of galleons, most of them being taller than Cyrus. Harry walked slowly into the room, taking in the pedestals that had (what looked like) crystal balls on them. The crystals were swirling with milky liquid, surrounding what looked to Harry like a bird bath. Harry dipped his hand into the liquid which swirled around his fingers immediately. His fingers brushed against the bottom, his soft palm pressing against the cool surface. "What is this," Harry asked after a few moments of silence. He brought his hand out of the water and was shocked to find that his hand was dry as could be, not a hint of water on his skin.

Ragnok walked over, looking at the swirling liquid inside the basin. "It's a pensieve. A magical object made to watch memories."

"Watch memories?" Harry furrowed his brow, looking around the 'pensieve'. Near it was a small pedestal that held a bag inside two ivory talons. Harry gently picked up the bag and opened it, pulling out a shining ancient flask that held a swirling gold substance. "Is this a memory?"

The goblin inspected the crystal flask and the liquid inside with a careful eye, uncorking the bottle and looking inside. "I suppose so. I've never seen a gold memory. Cyrus?" He looked up at the wizard who shook his head. He had never seen anything like this. Like any of this. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take a look at it. May I?" He made sure to ask Harry, as technically everything in the vault belonged to Harry. Even though it wasn't his memory, it was likely his ancestors'. Harry waved a hand in answer and Ragnok poured the contents of the vial into the basin.

The gold liquid swirled around, as if it were trying to hypnotize those who looked at it. Harry bit down on his bottom lip lightly, taking a deep breath. "So, how does this work?"

"You press a finger into the liquid while the memory is contained in the basin, and it'll pull your mind into the pensieve." Cyrus paused, humming in thought. "I think perhaps that only you should look at this."

"What? Why?"

"This was left for the heir. It's not our place to watch something meant for, well, you." Harry thought it over before nodding.

"Okay. You'll be here when I get back?" After Cyrus nodded, Harry lifted his hand. He looked at it for a moment before slowly lowering his fingers to the water. The moment his fingertips even grazed the surface, his eyes closed, and his subconscious was sucked into the semory. Cyrus and Ragnok settled in to wait, the doors behind them swinging closed with a soft thump.

* * *

**R&amp;R! Uri~**


	10. Metting Gramps

**Alright, so I have some good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?**

**Good news: I'm graduating high school in a week and a half and then I'm moving!**

**Bad news: I'm putting this story on Hiatus. As soon as I get to next week, I will no longer have access to a computer or a laptop, so I will not be able to type or upload chapters to until I find an Internet Café, or a new laptop. **

**As a result of this soon-to-come Hiatus, I will upload two finished chapters immediately. I'm so sorry about this, but I have no choice.**

**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.**

"Talking"

_'Thinking or Flashback/Memory'_

**_Mind Link_**

**~Parseltongue~**

_Letters or Books_

**_~POV Change~_**

**-*-Timeskip-*-**

**(^-^)(^_^)(^-^)**

* * *

**Harry Potter and How Things Changed In A Day**

**Chapter 10:**

**Meeting Gramps**

* * *

It was almost two hours before Harry emerged from the pensieve. He staggered when he was released, his legs having gone completely stiff from his stance. "Ah!"

Cyrus looked up from where he'd been sitting, having been reading an ancient scroll on hypnotism and the effects of it. He immediately- albeit gently- put down the scroll, moving to Harry's side to help steady him. "Is everything okay? Whose memory was that?"

"It was my ancestor's," he explained, holding onto Cyrus's arm to keep himself up.

Cyrus glanced at Ragnok. "We figured that. Who was it?"

Harry stared up at Cyrus as he though back to what he just experienced.

_'__Harry stumbled as his feet impacted with the floor. He looked around, taking in all that was around him. Huh? He was back in the vault. Didn't he go into that pensieve thing? Harry spun slowly, looking around. He noticed that everything had a slight shimmer, as if there was a wall in between him and his surroundings. When Harry stopped spinning, he jumped with surprise. A golden bird sat on a perch, its feathers shimmering with reds and browns as it inspected Harry._

_"__H-Hello," he said softly, holding out his hand. The majestic bird watched him before nuzzling his hand with its beak, calling softly. The feathers felt like warm silk under his fingers, and he giggled softly. The bird spread its large wings and took into the air, flying away from Harry. Harry blinked up in confusion as it flew, stopping to look back at him again._

_It cried out._

_"__You… want me to follow you?" The bird called in response and began flying in short spurts through the vault. _

_Harry quickly began following it through the piles of gold, running through the winding maze. Without the bird leading him, he would've gotten lost. After what seemed like hours of running (but was in fact only around five minutes) the bird flew down, perching in front of a simple wooden door. It called softly, moving to Harry's shoulder when he neared._

_The young wizard inspected the door and glanced at the bird before taking a deep breath and pushing the door open._

_The room that was revealed to his eyes was circular in structure, and was quite comfortable looking. Across from the door were two plush armchairs that sat next to a roaring golden fire, while gave the room a warm glow. Harry walked in slowly, looking around as he took in everything, from the tapestries on the wall to the books covering the shelves. It was only when he reached the fireplace that he realized one of the armchairs was occupied._

_The man was young in age, but he excluded an extreme amount of power. He had short brown hair, a goatee, a kind smile, and bright, glowing green eyes. Harry thought for a moment that they kind of looked like his._

_"__Apollo." His voice was rich and strong, and Harry jumped lightly when he felt the bird fly from his shoulder. Apollo(?) flew to the man, sitting on one of the armrests and crying out happily when the man pet it's head. "I see you've made a new friend." The man's green eyes locked on his own, and his smiled brightly. "We've been waiting for you, Harry."_

_Harry took a step back, lifting a hand as if he would be able to fight the man off in anything happened. "Who are you?"_

_"__I'm you great great great great… I actually don't know how many greats, grandfather. If you'd like, you may call me Gramps." There was a warm sparkle in his eye when he laughed, shaking his head, "But most people know me as-'_

"Merlin Ambrosius. He said his name was Merlin Ambrosius." Cyrus and Ragnok looked at him in a mix of shock and confusion. "…What?"

"What do you mean, 'he said'? Memories can't directly speak with the living." Harry's brows burrowed in confusion. After a moment, he turned, looking towards the maze before running towards it. Cyrus blinked in surprise before making to go after him. "Where are you going?"

"To talk to Gramps! He'll know what to tell us!" Cyrus tripped at that, watching as Harry disappeared around the corner in a flash of dark robes. Gramps? Ignoring the fact that Harry spoke as if the man was alive, where the bloody hell was he going?

"Harry! Wait!" Cyrus got to his feet, dashing into the golden maze. He looked this way and that, taking random turns as he tried to find where Harry had gone. "Harry? Harry, where are you?!" His foot got caught on a small pile of Galleons and he fell through a wall of the small gold disks. His head hit the ground with a crack, and he groaned, gold falling to the ground around him and covering his body. Cyrus opened his eyes when darkness entered his vision. Harry was upside down, staring at him with wide green eyes.

"Cyrus? What're you doing on the floor?"

Cyrus huffed, his head pounding as he righted himself, Harry flipping from being upside down to standing normally. Cyrus grunted and brushed himself off, picking a Galleon from his hair as Harry began giggling. He gave Harry a look, unable to keep himself from smiling lightly when he giggled even more, hiding his smile behind his hands. "Oh? You think that's funny?" Deciding to not pay attention to his head, which ached from its impact with the floor, he swept Harry up into his arms, throwing him over his shoulder. He ignored how light Harry was for his age so he could tickle the ten year old mercilessly. The boy shrieked happily, pounding against Cyrus's back with his fists and kicking his legs back and forth desperately as he tried to be put down.

His body wiggled this way and that, and Cyrus finally put him down when he screamed desperately, "I'm gonna p-pee on you! Put me d-d-down!" Harry giggled, his face red and tears staining his cheeks, giggling harder and flinching every time Cyrus would wiggle his fingers.

Cyrus chuckled, ruffling Harry's hair and putting a hand on his shoulder. His voice was slightly weak from his laughter, "What was it you were running to?"

"Here!" Harry pointed with a giggle past a stack of galleons. Cyrus raised an eyebrow at the plain wooden door that was embedded in the wall. The simple brown wood looked so out of place surrounded by the piles of gold and beautiful smooth white stones that made up the walls. Cyrus inspected it for another moment before looking at Harry with a question in his eyes. Harry smiled and walked up to the door, opening it with a gentle touch. He then walked back to Cyrus, taking his hand.

"Come with me! I want you to meet Grandpa!" Cyrus smiled lightly at the childlike innocence Harry held, despite the life he'd lived so far. He couldn't deny him such a simple wish, so he nodded. With a happy shriek, Harry pulled Cyrus along behind him, entering the cozy room from his memories.

Upon entrance, the fireplace across from the door roared to life, the gold flames licking at the chimney that it hadn't touched in many centuries. The room was identical with the one from the memory, not counting the absence of his grandfather in his beloved chair, or the new portrait above the mantle. The man in the picture sat in an identical armchair, snoring softly. His appearance hadn't changed much since Harry's seen him, not counting the fact that his goatee was a little longer and his hair was streaked with grey.

Upon Harry's call of "Grandpa!" the man woke, his snores abruptly ending as he looked around. Cyrus gasped when he saw how green his eyes were. If he'd had any doubts that Merlin was Harry's ancestor, he sure as hell knew now. He'd never seen anyone with eyes as green as Harry's in his life.

"Harry! I was wondering how long it would take for you to get here. It's been so long!"

"It's only been a few minutes Grandpa!"

"Not in here it hasn't! Apollo was starting to grow annoyed with me. I don't even know where he is."

"I'm sure he's there somewhere."

Cyrus watched the exchange with confusion. "How do you two know each other?"

Harry and 'Grandpa' looked at Cyrus then, seemingly having forgotten he was there. "Well…"

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**I hope you guys liked this chapter, and are ready for the next one.**

**Uri~**


	11. Reading The Potter Will

**This is the last chapter I'm uploading before the Hiatus. I hope you all like it, because both Maddox and I do. Speaking of which... Special thanks goes to Maddox, my lovely beta. She's one hell of a rock star, and she makes sure there are as few mistakes as possible before I upload.**

"Talking"

_'Thinking or Flashback/Memory'_

**_Mind Link_**

**~Parseltongue~**

_Letters or Books_

**_~POV Change~_**

**-*-Timeskip-*-**

**(^-^)(^_^)(^-^)**

* * *

**Harry Potter and How Things Changed In A Day**

**Chapter 11:**

**Reading The Potter Will**

* * *

After a long train ride to the surface, and an even longer explanation, Cyrus and Ragnok understood what was going on. With Merlin's portrait leaning against the wall, Harry and he explained.

Apparently, the gold wispy memory they'd see earlier wasn't just a memory at all. It had actually been a full day of Merlin's life, which he'd willingly departed with, and placed in a phial to be seen at a later date. This was why Harry could interact with Apollo and Merlin in the 'memory', as well as why the 'memory' had been gold- not only was the memory from one of the most powerful wizards in history, (if not _the_ most powerful) but it wasn't even a memory at all. It had been a partial Halo.

"What's a Halo?" Cyrus had asked, only for the old wizard to cut him off with an explanation. It seemed that Harry had inherited his exuberance from the old man.

"A Halo is a person's life force. The thing that keeps a person alive, the thing that gives us the ability to be happy is a Halo. Before I had died, I'd taken a tiny sliver of my life force and had placed it in a phial. That tiny sliver was a single day in my life that I'd been forced to give up in order to speak with my grandchild. Although, the process of taking even that small amount of my Halo had been exhausting and had taken quite a large portion of my magic, which is why I only know of two people in existence have been able to take fragments of their Halos and put them away for later use." Merlin had shrugged lightly, "Although, I've been down there in the vault for a while, so there may be others who've accomplished the task." Cyrus glared at the dead wizard's portrait and opened his mouth, only to be stopped before he could even start, "And no, a Halo is not like a Horcrux."

Harry looked between the two. "What's a Horcux?"

"A Horcrux, Harry, is a piece of someone's soul that has been placed in an object. The one of the many differences between a Horcrux and a Halo is the fact that in order to create a Horcrux, you must commit an act so despicable, it disfigures your own self in the process."

Harry hesitated before asking, "And what's that?"

"The person must murder an innocent." Harry looked at his grandfather with wide fearful eyes. He began trembling before suddenly gasping in fear. His voice was soft yet shaking, trembling almost as much as he was.

"Am I a Horcrux?" The entire room turned to him with confusion in their eyes before it dawned on them. Harry didn't understand what Innocent meant.

Cyrus gently drew the boy closer, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're not a Horcrux, Harry. It's impossible for you to be."

"How do you know," he insisted, his green eyes filled with fear.

"I just do," Cyrus said, pulling Harry into a gentle hug. "I'll explain how when you're older." The other two men 'in' the room said nothing as the young boy was hugged.

Ragnok sighed from where he sat in his chair, tapping a long fingered nail against the table. "I suppose we should postpone the reading of the will and the blood test until tomorrow."

Cyrus nodded in confirmation when Harry put a hand on his arm. "I'll be fine. I'd like to know what they say." The brown eyed man stared at him, inspecting his eyes for any hesitation before nodding. They looked to Ragnok, who broke the seal on the will and tapped the parchment in a certain spot with a single finger. The parchment began shimmering with light, and Harry's eyes widened when he heart two voices echo around the room. One felt like silk against his skin, and the other made him want to laugh.

_"__This is the last Will and Testament of James_ _Damien Potter, Lilian Rose Potter nee Evans, both of which being sound of body and mind in the writing of this document._

_"__Witnesses: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore and Sirius Orion Black._

_"__To Sirius Orion Black, we leave one million Galleons and Padfoot's Palace. Sirius, you old dog, get up to trouble while we're gone, and look after Harry._

_"__To Remus John Lupin, we leave one million Galleons and the Wolf's Ward. Keep an eye on Padfoot, and make sure to teach my son what Sirius doesn't. We don't want him growing up not knowing anything._

_"__To Peter Pettigrew, if we are dead upon the reading of this will, we leave nothing. Peter was our Secret Keeper, so if we are dead, it is due to that rat._

_"__To Harry James Potter, we leave everything else."_

Harry wiped at his eyes desperately as he listened intently to his mother's voice. He never wanted to forget it.

_"__Harry, I'm so sorry we aren't there to watch you grow up. I can only wish I'd been there to teach you how to walk, how to read, how to do what you were born to do- use magic. My sweet baby, your father and I love you very much. We will miss you every day we aren't there to help you through your life, but just remember that no matter what, we will always be watching."_

Harry had his eyes closed, desperately ignoring the tears streaming down his face as he remembered. His father's voice started up soon after his mother's stopped.

_"__Hey Prongslett. I sure hope we're there, but if we aren't, then I'm so sorry. I wish I was there to teach you how to use your magic and prank people- don't hit me woman! I'm trying to steer our son on the right path!"_

_"__Right path?! You're telling him to prank people!"_

_"__Oh relax. If he hasn't learned how to do that already from Sirius, he might as well start now!"_

Harry giggled softly, sniffling and wiping his nose.

_"__Oh Prongslett, I wish I was there. If Sirius or Remus didn't raise you, then you find them and prank their arses hard! Stop hitting me Lily, I'm just sayin'!"_

_"__Tch. Don't forget that we love you, Harry."_

_"__We love you so much, Prongslett."_

Harry smiled lightly, believing in that moment that his parents really had loved him. It made him feel so warm inside. His mother and father spoke together again, changing the loving slightly amusing moment to a serious one.

_"__May Harry never ever be sent to Petunia and Vernon Dursley. The two hate everything to do with magic, and will likely hurt Harry if he's ever sent there._

_"__This our last Will and Testament. As we wish, so mote it be!"_

Harry opened his eyes when the voices drifted away, and he wiped at his face and blew his nose with a handkerchief that Cyrus handed him. He kept it clenched in his fist, wiping at his face which continued to feel wet with tears despite his struggle.

Ragnok cleared his throat, rolling up the parchment and holding it in both hands. "Well, that explains a few things… Harry, may I request something of you?" At Harry's nod, he continued, "I'd like to make a copy of this and send it to the Ministry. I believe there's a man in Azkaban who does not belong there." Harry furrowed his brows in confusion before nodding, sniffling and blowing his nose again instead of asking questions. Ragnok silently summoned an elf, made a copy of the will, and sent it with the wrinkly creature.

Cyrus helped Harry clean up his face, taking in the slump of his shoulders. "Do you want to continue with the blood test?" Harry nodded, and despite himself, Cyrus smiled. Harry was exhausted from the day, physically and emotionally, but rather than push things off for later, he stubbornly, wanting to get things done now rather than later.

Ragnok sighed softly and lifted up the dried parchment, which had turned a deep shade of red, almost brown really. He glanced at Harry for confirmation before saying the words, "Adnuntiabit Omnia." The Blood in the parchment began drawing towards the center, every lost drop moving together. Once it reached the center, a single drop of blood fell, splattering against the desk as the words on the parchment were revealed.

Ragnok cleared his throat. "What would you like to hear first? The spells on you or your abilities?"

Harry hummed in thought. "Why don't you just give Cyrus the list and he can explain them to me later? As much as I'd love to know about it all, I'm new to all of this so I wouldn't understand any of it." Ragnok and Cyrus shared a look before Ragnok smiled.

"That's understandable." Ragnok gave the parchment a once over before handing it to Cyrus. "He'll need a wide range of potions to fix all of this. Would you like for me to have them brought here before you leave?"

Cyrus read over everything on the parchment, slowly nodding. "Yes. That would be best." Ragnok called for a goblin and handed him a slip of paper. He immediately ran off to do as he was ordered, returning within a few minutes with a red pouch.

"Here you are, my Lord." The elderly goblin bowed low before respectfully leaving the room.

Ragnok opened the pouch, looking through the bottles that filled it. He nodded in confirmation, holding it out to Cyrus. "Have him take these after dinner. It'll remove all the blocks on his magic and his mind."

Cyrus nodded, taking the bag and carefully slipping it into his pocket with the rolled up parchment. He stood, taking Harry's hand gently. "Merlin?"

"Yes?"

"Would you mind if I shrunk your portrait and took it with us? I think Harry would like it." Based on how the sleepy child's face brightened, that would indeed make him happy.

Merlin smiled lightly. "I wouldn't mind at all." Cyrus gave him a light smile before shrinking the portrait and slipping it into his pocket next to the red pouch. Cyrus then retook Harry's hand, brushing his thumb against the child's soft skin as he reapplied the glamour and led him out of the room.

Harry began to stumble along next to him after a minute of walking, his eyes heavy. The older wizard glanced down, smiling lightly. The poor kid was emotionally and physically drained. So, after a moments contemplation, he picked Harry up. Harry closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Cyrus' neck as he was carried through the doors that led to the Gringotts Atrium.

The old man from earlier was fuming, and you could practically see the steam coming out of his ears as he stood, walking up to the teller that had helped Cyrus and Harry earlier. "I demand to see Ragnok! He has to be done with his meeting by now! It's been almost," he checked his pocket watch, "five hours!"

Harry giggled when he heard the goblin reply with a smooth, "I'll send him a notice to let him know you wish to be seen."

"I demand-!"

"Demand all you want sir, I am just a humble Teller. There isn't much else I can do. Please sit in the waiting area." Harry watched over Cyrus's shoulder as the old man angrily went to sit down, and the tired boy giggled just a little more when the teller sent him an all knowing wink.

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**I'm going to miss you guys, and I'm incredibly sorry that I won't be able to continue this for a while. But I _will_ continue this as soon as possible, so don't go anywhere!**

**Until next time.**

**Uridia Voalfa~**


	12. Education is Important

**A question I noticed people asking: "Why is Harry so short" "He's not a Hobbit you know". I know he's not a Hobbit, guys. If he was, this fic would be vastly different. The reason he's so short is because he was malnourished. Being malnourished stunts the growing process and usually forces the person to be much shorter than they would be usually. All of that is cleared up in this Chapter, as he gets his Inheritance. His Inheritance will change his body and will help him gain that height we all know he needs. **

**Also, you heard me right. He gets his Inheritance! I'm so excited!**

**Anyway.**

_**Diclaimer: Anything you see that you recognize, I do not own. Some of the characters in this little Fic of mine are Original Characters.**_

"Talking"

_'__Thinking or Flashback/Memory'_

**_Mind Link_**

**~Parseltongue~**

_Letters or Books_

**_~POV Change~_**

**-*-Timeskip-*-**

**(^-^)(^_^)(^-^)**

* * *

**Harry Potter and How Things Changed In A Day**

**Chapter 12:**

**Education is Important**

* * *

Harry walked into the dining hall two weeks later, his cloak snapping around him. He looked around the room carefully, and raised an eyebrow at the empty room. Something was up. He walked to the table, looking at the seemingly normal plate of food that sat in front of his usual seat. The black haired wizard picked up the goblet and sniffed the contents. _Pumpkin juice- wait a second…_ He sniffed it again, narrowing his eyes before twirling around and throwing the contents of the cup upwards.

"Ack! Why'd you do that?!" Kat looked at him, taking ahold of her now orange locks and wringing them out of pumpkin juice.

Harry covered his mouth, stifling a laugh. He gave Katerina a sheepish smile, picking up a napkin and dabbing at her wet skin. "Sorry, I thought you were someone else."

"Who?"

"Necu-" He stiffened as an ice cold something went down his spine and Harry let out a small shriek as he desperately tried to get it out of his shirt. "Neculai!"

The male vampire snickered from the ceiling, where he'd been waiting; calmly standing as if gravity had no effect on him, he spoke, "Have you learned nothing? Never let your guard down. Katerina, your hair is turning pink."

"What?!" She summoned a mirror and watched as her hair, not of her accord, turned pink. In response to her hair, her skin began to turn pink as well.

Harry gave her another one of his famous sheepish smiles. "I knew there was something in the pumpkin juice…" Kat gave a hiss of annoyance before trying to force her body to change skin tone.

"It won't work. At least not easily," Neculai supplied unhelpfully.

"And why not?" She continued to try desperately.

"Since Harry has Metamorphagi abilities that he has yet to perfect, I figured the practice would do him good. Which reminds me." With a snap of his fingers and a soft noise, Neculai upturned a goblet onto Harry's head, the liquid inside splashing down against his hair, skin, and robes.

"NECULAI!"

Ever since Harry had started his training two weeks ago, he'd taken a potion every night to get rid of the blocks on his magic and mind. As soon as he'd start showing signs of a trait that had been on the list that Cyrus had been given by Ragnok, they began training that certain area. About two days ago, Harry'd woken up with hair down to his shoulders and started screaming for help when it wouldn't stop growing. Katerina quickly realized what was going on and began training him in the arts of the Metamorphmagis. Due to the fact that Shifters and Metamorphmagis were so similar, it was easy for her to train him in these 'arts'. The other abilities that'd started to appear (both magical and non) ranged from apparently being able to easily communicate telepathically, photographic memory (which really helped when he was reading), and Parseltongue.

He hadn't been able to practice that last one much due to no one having a pet snake, but Neculai had had a laugh when he couldn't stop hissing one morning after practicing his Parseltongue with Katerina. He'd also noticed that the headaches he often got were gone, and that he no longer needed glasses. That helped to showcase his rather green eyes, which seemed to glow whenever he was feeling a powerful enough emotion.

"Well?" Neculai asked, bringing Harry's mind back to the present. "Aren't you going to try to go back to normal?" Harry looked down at himself and noticed that his hands were turning a startling shade of pink. He let out a small growl of annoyance before closing his eyes and beginning to try to change his skin back to its light tan. In his mind, he pictured his arm as if he was looking at it and changed the color in his head from pink to its normal shade of slightly tan. He repeated the slow process a few times before opening his eyes and checking.

His arm still held a slight pink hue, but it was an improvement from the hot pink it had been a few moments ago. There was a soft click from behind Harry as Neculai stopped the stopwatch he'd been using to time Harry. "Three minutes and twelve seconds. Considering the fact that the potion was made to resist the change, I'd say you did well." Harry was smiling happily and about to jump for joy when Neculai added, "Now just work on your hair and we'll be getting somewhere."

Harry looked up, noticing his messy locks were indeed bright pink. Harry grumbled something about stupid vampires before getting to work. After almost five minutes, Harry's hair was back to normal (not counting those few stubborn hairs that just refused to listen to him), and he sat down to have a large breakfast, famished.

He was halfway through with his breakfast when someone sat in the chair next to him. He swallowed his mouthful of eggs before speaking, "What am I learning today, Cyrus?"

The dark chuckle that he got in response made a shiver of horror shoot up his spine

**-*-Noon-*-**

Harry groaned, holding his head as he relaxed back into the soft armchair he sat in. He'd been practicing Occulumency since the beginning of his 'education', building barriers in his mind and fighting against those that wished to invade it- which at the moment was Cyrus.

Cyrus had told him that some people might wish to invade his mind to gain information, so Harry'd immediately begun learning Occlumency, something that could be used to protect his mind. After meditating for a few hours to build up barriers in his mind, Cyrus began testing these walls using Legilimency (an art that was used to invade the mind). Every time they practiced, Cyrus would find holes in his wall and tap at them, the taps getting harder the longer Harry failed to notice them. He'd stop and move to a different spot whenever Harry fixed the spot.

To say that Harry was tired from the activities was an understatement. "Can't we take a break?" he pleaded, rubbing his temple with a gentle hand. When Cyrus opened his mouth to deny the request, Harry added, "Can I at least get a pain potion and go to use the loo?" Harry'd discovered that Cyrus was no pushover when it came to teaching, always making Harry work harder and harder. After all, they only had a few weeks to cram a boatload of information into his young mind.

Cyrus sighed and nodded, "Alright, but I expect you back here in ten minutes. We have work to do."

"Yes sir." Harry left the private study, quickly retrieving a pain potion from behind the front desk and throwing it back, grimacing at the taste. After going to the loo and scarfing down a quick snack, he made his way back to the room. He quickly began practicing with Cyrus for almost two more hours before he began learning literature and politics from Safi. It was boring, but she taught him all about the Wizengamot, the old houses, and how someone of his 'status' was to act.

After three hours of being taught all about politics, he was released for an hour to eat and relax before he began going through his books. He'd been told by Cyrus that he had an inheritance. Of course, Cyrus had had to explain that to him before he understood it, but once he did Harry couldn't wait. He'd been given some books on his particular inheritance and was told to read through them and then go to Cyrus when he'd finished.

The boy was practically vibrating with excitement when he snapped the last book shut and hurried through the hotel to find Cyrus. After searching for a minute he found him in his study going over some scrolls. "Cyrus!" He slapped the book onto the desk, scattering parchment and quills from where they'd been only seconds before.

The man looked up at Harry from his hunched position before he smiled lightly and straightened up. He looked at the book, reading the cover. "You've finished?" Harry nodded enthusiastically, his eyes wide. Cyrus chuckled. "Alright. Go eat dinner and I'll give you your potion tonight before bed."

"What'll the potion do again?" Cyrus gave Harry a look. The boy was extremely excited over his inheritance but he didn't even… Sigh.

The older wizard straightened up, popping his back before relaxing again, "The potion will break the block that's on your body that prevents you from coming into your inheritance and harnessing the power it grants."

"Oh. When was I supposed to come into my inheritance anyway?"

"When you were ten."

"Oh. Okay!" Harry ran from the room, smiling widely and happily. Cyrus shook his head and rubbed his eyes, ignoring the small smile on his face. Harry's exuberance would get the better of him one day.

The rest of the day, in Harry's professional opinion, passed in a blur. There was study time, then dinner, and then Harry was lying in bed, his blankets drawn up to his neck as he waited anxiously for the foul tasting potions. Annie smiled down at him, running a gentle hand over his hair as she leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead.

She gave him one more smile before gently feeding him a Dreamless Sleep potion, helping him swallow the foul concoction. When his eyes started to droop, she helped him drink two more that would help the change and break the blocks. The dark haired woman pressed another soft kiss to the sleeping child's head before leaving the room, warding the door as a just-in-case precaution.

**-*-6:29 A.M. The Next Morning-*-**

The sun was just barely creeping over the horizon when the inhabitants of the room stirred for the first time in several hours. It was Aria, who hooted disdainfully at her perch's new tenants. She looked around the room with her yellow eyes, her feathers ruffling at the scene. The floor had become covered in dark green creepers that'd entered through the windows sometime during the night. Said window had creepers hanging over the sill, and every once in a while a creeper would shift towards the bed where her young master lay.

Unlike the floor, the bed was clear of the thick murky colored vines. The boy, however, was exposed to the air, his covers having been tossed off at some point during the night due to him having fits. He seemed to have grown a bit, and his usually unruly locks had put an end their rebellious nature, finally making his hair not look like a rat's nest. His face had slimmed down, losing what little baby fat he had left, his cheekbones now quite prominent.

Her master stretched, the thick vines moving with him in response to the action. She flew over to him, sitting down on the headboard of his bed as she looked down at him. He looked up at her, his bright green eyes cloudy from his sleep. "Aria?" He groaned softly and ran his hand through his hair, the creepers lifting up and then dropping back down in response. Harry didn't notice as he'd closed his eyes when he performed the habit.

When he finally opened his eyes and sat up, he looked around the room, confusion evident in his eyes. It took a total of three seconds before his eyes widened and he smiled brightly, realizing what had happened while he was asleep. "Wicked."

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**I try to make chapters at least 2000 words each. I, personally, will rarely read a FanFic unless it has double the amount of words as it does chapters. For example, if there's five chapters, I hope for 10K words. Of course, it doesn't always apply because some fics are just too good.**

**For those of you that don't know, the 'creepers' were vines. I remember reading a book in my English class where it called vines 'creepers'. The name of the book escapes me... Anyway, I apologize that the word 'vines' didn't replace the word 'creepers' anywhere. I'd done that originally, but I suppose I accidentally edited them out. Whoopsie.**

**Read and Review!**

**Uri~**


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